


The Prince's Bride

by Where_Ocean_Meets_Sky



Category: Princess Bride (1987), The Princess Bride - Simon Morgenstern, The Princess Bride - William Goldman, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alfor is there for like half a second, Allura is annoyed, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Coran is Allura (Voltron)'s Uncle, Coran is an Uncle, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, He doesn't love Lance, He was mean to Hunk so he deserved it, Hunk is Fezzik, If you've seen the movie you know what happens, Iverson dies a few chapters in lol, Iverson is Vizzini, Keith (Voltron) is a Good Boyfriend, Keith is Westley, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Fluff, Klangst (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance is Buttercup, Langst, Lotor is Prince Humperdink, M/M, Matt is dead, Pidge is Inigo Montoya, Pidge | Katie Holt is Savage, Protective Keith (Voltron), Protective Lance (Voltron), Sendak is Count Rugen, Shiro is Miracle Max, So is Pidge's mom and dad, The Princess Bride AU, They're so in love omg, keith is whipped, lotor sucks, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:14:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 24,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25226638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Where_Ocean_Meets_Sky/pseuds/Where_Ocean_Meets_Sky
Summary: Allura is sick, and it falls to her Uncle Coran to continue the tradition of reading "The Prince's Bride" to his Niece. Though Allura isn't a fan of romance, she's intrigued by the 'sword fighting, torture,' and 'revenge' aspect of it. So, she bares with her Uncle and follows the story of Lance and the love of his life, Keith, as they battle terrors, rivals, and more.-----------This is essentially The Princess Bride, but Klance!! Don't copy my writing please, that's super annoying. If you want to translate it into a different language for others, just tell me first so I can say you've been given permission and don't get hate, you know? And give credit, obviously. I'm also really bad at summary's, sorry haha. Feel free to offer criticism and Grammar corrections!
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Allura & Coran (Voltron), Hunk & Keith & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt & Shiro, Hunk & Keith (Voltron), Keith & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith & The Blade of Marmora, Keith/Lance (Voltron), Lance/Lotor (Voltron)
Comments: 52
Kudos: 174





	1. As You Wish

Tissues littered the nightstand next to the bed as medicine bottles sat, stubbornly untouched, right next to them. Small noises from the video game Allura was playing rang out in the room, while the girl herself sat propped up on a mountain of pillows so she didn’t have to sit up herself. Every now and then, a sniffle or a cough would interrupt the noises from the game, and Allura would wipe her nose on her sleeve or on a tissue. It was halfway through a Super Mario stage that a knock resounded on her door, and Allura was distracted long enough for a turtle to knock her off the screen. She heard the signature ‘mama mia!’ And wind down chimes that meant she had died, and huffed in annoyance. 

“Come in.” She said, a little sourly for being interrupted and killed, though her annoyed face softened when her father entered the room. 

“Hello, little princess. How are you feeling? Any better?” Alfor asked, sitting on the side of the bed farthest from the door. He placed a hand over hers, and she mustered a half smile. 

“Not worse. If it helps,” She answered. Allura had been sick for a few days now, not more than four, but close to it. It was just a cold, but it still made her feel like crap. “Is mum at work?” 

Allura had become much more self aware about her British accent ever since they’d moved to America. Everyone either thought it was ‘so cool!’ or ‘that's weird’. There didn’t seem to be an in between. 

“Yes, she is. I'm working from home today to watch you,” Alfor responded, breaking Allura out of her small mind trip with a boop to her nose. “But, you have a visitor. Your Uncle Coran is here.” 

Allura groaned in annoyance when her uncle was mentioned. He wasn’t really her uncle, he was her father's best friend since childhood and godfather, but they called him her Uncle Coran. And he was crazy. 

“Noooo ho ho..... can’t you tell him I’m sick?” Allura pleaded, giving her father puppy dog eyes. Alfor gave a laugh, more of a deep chuckle, and gave his daughter a fond glare. He knew Allura loved Coran, he was her Uncle! But sometimes he could be a bit much, even when she wasn’t sick. 

“That's not a very nice reaction. He’s here because you’re sick.” Alfor shifted on the bed, standing up and opening the blinds to let a little light into the room. Allura hissed dramatically, and sighed. 

“But he’ll pinch my cheek! I know it.” She huffed again, crossing her arms as she did. He always pinched her cheek, and it always hurt! Alfor laughed again, and gazed at Allura sympathetically. 

“Maybe he won't this time.”

“Helllooo, Allura!” Her Uncle always could make a grand entrance. He had a fedora on as he burst through the doors, carrying a present in one hand and his cane in the other. “How are you my girl? Still feeling down?” Her uncle started up again, making his way over to her so he could pinch her cheek enthusiastically. Allura made no sound of discomfort or annoyance, but did shoot her father her best ‘do you see?’ stare. 

“Not worse, not better.” Allura replied robotically, just as her father made his way to the door. 

“Well, I’ll leave you two alone. I need to get back to work. I love you Allura.” The white haired girl nodded, and waved back at her father as he left. 

“Hey, i got you a special gift!” Coran said excitedly, pulling a chair close to her bed and taking a seat. Her eyebrows quirked up in curiosity, and she leaned for it. As annoying as her uncle could sometimes be, he did give really good gifts. 

“Really?” The girl asked, opening up her hands shyly. 

“Of course! Open it up.” The man replied, handing the wrapped gift to the young girl. She tore into the paper, and her curiosity waned into confusion. 

“A... book?” She looked back up at Coran, tilting her head to the side and holding up the book for him to see. She almost glanced to the other side of her room, when she had a whole bookcase filled with books on space, science, and sports history. She had always liked sports, and had been strangely strong for a girl her age. She wasn’t really a romance person like most girls, instead focusing on her baseball and fencing. 

“Of course my dear! In my day, television and video games,” he gestured to the gaming console Allura had set up before continuing. “were called books! And this right here is a special book. It's the book my father used to read to me when I was sick, and I used to read to your father when he was sick, and he would read to me. Now, I’m going to read it to you.” He said, taking the book back and opening the page. 

Before he could begin, Allura jumped in, leaning forward to see his face better. 

“Does it have any sports in it?” She paused as she asked, wondering if it was rude to ask, before deciding no it wasn’t, and awaiting his answer. 

“Are you kidding?” Came her uncle's answer, and she perked up. “ Fencing, Fighting, Torture, Revenge, Giants, Monsters, Chases, Escapes, True love, Miracles.” His eyes were bright, and Allura’s interest suddenly spiked. She tried to downplay it, coughing a little before shrugging. 

“Well, it doesn’t sound that bad. I can try and stay awake.” She muttered, fluffing her pillow and leaning back. Her uncle gave a dry chuckle before speaking. 

“Ah. Well, thank you very much, it's nice of you. Your vote of confidence is overwhelming.” He responded, the dry tone to his voice alluding to sarcasm and making Allura wince with a shy smile. Coran cleared his throat, and opened the book up. “Alright, lets see. The Prince’s Bride, by S. Morgenstern. Chapter One.”

“Lance was raised in a small farm in the country of Altea. His favorite pastimes were riding his father's horses and tormenting the farm boy that worked there. His name was Keith, but he never called him that.” Coran paused to sigh. “Isn’t that a wonderful beginning?” He said to Allura. The girl simply held her breath for a moment, before doing her best to NOT show her annoyance. This Lance character seemed kinda mean. 

“Yeah. It's really good.”

“Nothing gave Lance as much pleasure as ordering Keith around.”

————

Lance loved the feeling of wind in his hair. The rush of adrenaline that came with jumping over rocks and fallen trees on his horse. Kaltenecker was his favorite, the black and white paint horse being the fastest and strongest of all the farm's horses. He loved riding with her, and yet even more so he loved when he returned. It meant he got to see Keith. 

The farm hand had frustrated Lance when they first met, almost four years ago now. He seemed so above it all, stronger than Lance and better at doing all the work around the farm. But when Lance realized that he could order him around, his frustration became smug satisfaction. He wasn’t quite sure why he had such an obsession with ordering the poor boy around, but he didn’t really care. It wasn’t anyone's business anyway. 

“Farm boy?” Lance called, leaning over the stable wall slightly as he held Kaltenecker’s reins in his hand. Keith stood up from where he’d been bent over, shoveling hay into the stalls. “Polish my horses saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning.” 

Keith's gaze never left Lance, as he bowed his head shortly before looking up again, neither frowning or smiling. He was quiet, a reserved person, rarely showing any actual emotion. Any emotion he did show was more commonly anger. He got furious at one person who’d tried to oversell a cow to Lance, and ended up ruining the deal all together. Lance hadn’t gotten mad though. The whole deal had been shady. 

“As you wish.” That, that phrase, might be the oddest thing about him to Lance. That was all he ever said. ‘As you wish’. There was no yes sir like most farm hands, no sarcasm or annoyance, a simple ‘as you wish’ was all he ever said. Even during basic conversation! Lance didn’t think he’d ever had an actual conversation with the dude. 

That was the first time Keith’s gaze made Lance pause. The second was barely four days later. Keith was outside, chopping the wood for the fireplace since the colder months were almost upon them. Lance walked up to him briskly, dropping the two buckets previously in his grip with a quiet huff. He ran a hand through his curling brown hair, the ends twisting naturally. 

“Farm boy, fill these with water.” Lance said, looking up to meet his eyes. When he did, he faltered. He’d almost walked away, but something about the grey-purple eyes stopped him in his tracks. He gulped, the swallow feeling difficult. “Please.”

He wasn’t sure why he added the please at the end. He never did with Keith. He did with the children at the orphanage, or the vendors selling their meat and bread. But not with Keith. 

“As you wish.” Keith’s eyes were sparkling, a faint smile coming up to play on his lips. Lance startled, turning around and walking -speed walking, mind you, but running away was rude- far away. Well, not that far away. He paused to look back, and saw that Keith’s eyes were pressed firmly to his form. The farm hand smiled, looking down slowly before grabbing the buckets. Lance watched him go, until he snapped out of his idiocy and briskly walked back to the kitchen house. 

He took a few deep breaths, palms pressed against the counter tops. It had to have been a few minutes, maybe more, when Lance finally looked up. He started to shakily make dinner for him and Keith, as well as the ‘leftovers’ he would take to Nadia and the others in the village tomorrow. 

It was when he was packing up what he would take tomorrow in a basket that Keith entered the kitchen. Lance turned around to look at him, almost knocking over the basket. He stared at that dark onyx hair for a moment, unabashedly gazing at Keith as the man put the wood into the growing stack by the kitchen's fireplace, before standing up to leave. 

Wait, leave? He couldn’t leave? Lance wasn’t sure why, but he desperately wanted Keith to stay. 

“Farm boy!” He called, a little louder than he’d intended, and watched as Keith’s violet eyes paused over his form. It made his mouth go dry and his mind panic. He searched for something to order Keith to do, until his eyes fell on a pitcher above his head. “Fetch me that pitcher?” He asked, his voice much quieter than it was initially. 

The pitcher he asked for wasn’t that intriguing, just a clay pitcher on a hook. The thing that made Keith raise his eyebrow wasn’t the pitcher, anyway. It was the fact that Lance could very obviously reach it himself. He wasn’t that much shorter than Keith, maybe by two inches, three if it was stretched. Keith approached anyway, one foot in front of the other until he was right in front of Lance. 

They were practically a breath away, their chests could be touching if Keith shuffled forward half a step. The taller reached up, not taking his eyes off of Lance as he grabbed the pitcher. Lance wasn’t even sure if it was the right pitcher. He was more focused on the fact that he felt like his breath was being stolen away. Suddenly the pitcher was right under his chin, and Keith was giving him a tiny, fond smile. 

“As you wish.” Lance’s breath caught in his throat again, and he took the pitcher. He quietly placed the pitcher on the counter, and leaned forward by an inch. Keith leaned in as well, one hand coming forward to settle on Lance’s waist, as the shorter placed a hand on the back of Keith’s neck. They met slowly, lips against lips like-

———————

“Hold it, hold it.” Allura interrupted, waving her hands in a stopping motion. “What is this? Are you trying to trick me? Where's the sports?” She asked incredulously, crossing her arms and fixing her uncle with an annoyed stare. “Is this a kissing book?” Coran had a fond smile on his face as Allura interrupted, and shook his head. 

“Wait, just wait-“

“Well when does it get good!” Allura interrupted again, leaning forward and throwing her hair forward as well. 

“Just keep your shirt on, and let me read.” Coran insisted, fixing the book back open. “Keith had no money for marriage, so he packed his few belongings and left the farm to seek his fortune across the sea. It was very emotional time for Lance-“ 

“I don't believe this.....” 

————

Lance knew he was getting Keith’s shirt damp, he knew he had been crying almost all day, and yet he couldn’t find it in him to care. Keith held him tight in his arms, not letting up on his grip as Lance quietly cried. When they finally came out of the hug, Keith set his hands on the dip in Lance’s waist, and Lance set his arms on his lover's chest. 

“Keith..... I fear I’ll never see you again.” Lance nearly choked on his words, as he had when Keith first told him of his reckless (though not out of character) plan to gain the money to marry and provide for Lance. He was a servant, and Lance’s farm didn’t produce enough for a wedding. Keith simply reached one hand up to cup Lance’s face, a gesture which Lance leaned into eagerly. 

“Of course you will.” He said simply. Keith had always been of few words. He spoke better with actions, his protective nature rearing its head or taking Lance by surprise with a long kiss before he went to bed for the night. 

“But what if something happens to you?” Lance murmured, closing his eyes into Keith’s palm. 

“Hear this now;” Keith spoke strong, the tone that gave Lance shivers and caused him to look into Keith’s eyes. “I will come for you.” 

“But how can you be sure?”

“This is true love.” Lance melted. True love. He knew, they knew, that what they had was true love. “You think this happens every day?” Lance smiled, though it wobbled. Keith smiled back, and they hugged again, kissing shortly before Keith walked away. Lance waved him goodbye, smiling softly as Keith rode Kaltenecker, Lance's best horse, into the sunset. 

Little did Lance know it would be the last time he would see Keith for five years. 

When Lance got the news about the ship's capture, he’d been sitting in his rocking chair by the fireplace, patching up one of his work clothes. He startled when a knock resounded on his door, and he stood quickly. When he opened the door, his heart dropped to his stomach. A messenger, one with a navy seal on his uniform, was at his door, hat off. Someone was dead. 

“Lance McClain?” The messenger asked, and Lance nodded slowly, praying to everything he believed in that it wasn’t who he thought it was. “I’m... I’m here to tell you that Keith Kogane is dead.” Lance’s heart dropped to the floor, and like it was made of glass, it shattered. He swore the man was saying other things, ‘The Blade of Marmora’, pirates Lance thought. And yet none of that was important. He closed the door slowly, cutting the messenger off, and leaning against the door. 

He clasped a hand over his mouth, sobbing quietly into his hand before sliding down the door. He was quiet for a few moments, sobbing gently into his hand, until a blood curdling scream tore through his throat. It didn’t sound human. It sounded broken. Like the sound of the most ultimate suffering. He sobbed violently, standing up and swinging. His vision was red -that was Keith’s favorite color- and yet his eyes were clenched shut. 

When he opened his eyes, he couldn’t even bring himself to be horrified by what he’d done. The room was a disaster, pitcher pieces and shattered glass were everywhere, and Lance was briefly aware of the feeling of something warm and sticky rolling down his palms. When he looked, he saw his hands had been cut by glass. Tear drops mixed with the blood, and Lance fell to the floor. 

“I will never love again.”


	2. Murdered by Pirates is Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance meet’s Pidge and Hunk, and unfortunately Iverson.
> 
> Allura is happy that someone died by way of Pirates.

“Keith never made it to his destination. His ship was attacked by the dreaded Blade of Marmora, a pirate ship which never left captives alive. When Lance got the news that Keith was murdered,”

“Murdered by pirates is good!” Allura jumped in, smiling at the turn out. 

“he went into his room and shut the door. For days, he neither slept nor ate, no matter how many friends or family of his came to the door. “

Allura was finally starting to like this book. 

“Five years later, the main square of Altea city was filled as never before to hear the announcement of the great Prince Lotor’s groom to be.”

————

Lance remembered when he first met Lotor. If he’d known about that day, and what it would lead to, he’d have stayed home. It was when he was out in the village, three years after Keith’s death. He was bartering for feed in the local market, enough to feed all his chickens and a few of his cows. The rest he’d have to buy later. He was paying the man at the stall when trumpets sounded, and everyone’s attention was stollen to the front of the village. It was a small town, only a few houses and even fewer shops, plus an orphanage. Some of the children Lance volunteered to watch over at the orphanage came running to him, hiding behind his legs at the loud noise and large carriage.

It was prince Lotor’s carriage, the seal on the side making that clear. It stopped near the bakery, a single store down from where Lance was. When it came to a halt, a man of tall stature, a Galran it seemed, stepped from the carriage and held up a scroll. 

“Hear ye, all who live in Floren. The time has come, with the impending doom of the King’s death and his failing health, that Prince Lotor shall choose a spouse. Man or woman, his chosen love shall be given all the riches and fame in the world. Come forth, and meet your Prince, in hopes of gaining this honor.” The man, or so Lance assumed, seemed to be Sendak, Lotor’s advisor and his main enforcer. 

Women and men, as few as each were in the village, came forth to see Prince Lotor as he stepped out of the carriage. And yet Lance made no move. He didn’t want to marry anyone besides his love. Even though Keith was dead, it would be the same as a betrayal. As adultery. He turned away, and went to walk to his next shop. However, as he neared the door, a hand grasped his forearm and turned him around. A soldier, heavy in armor and reek, glared at him. 

“The word of the Prince has been spoken. You are to present yourself to Prince Lotor, wench.” Lance glowered at the nickname, and shrugged the soldiers hand off. He walked back to the carriage, a frown so similar to Keith’s stuck on his features. When he finally saw Lotor, the prince was about to return to his carriage. Everyone in the small crowd watched Lance carefully, knowing his heart break and wondering why he was presenting himself to Lotor. He had made it very clear he would never love again, or marry anyone besides Keith. 

“You’re highness.” Lance muttered, bowing shortly in front of Lotor. The Prince hesitated, and watched Lance carefully. He saw the sad looks on all the villagers faces, the sympathy and pity alike they held for him. 

“Look up at me, boy.” Lotor commanded, turning to fully face Lance. When Lance finally did look up, Lotor smiled. This boy was perfect. Beautiful, clearly humble, and the village had emotions toward him. The perfect candidate for his plan. “What is your name?” He asked softly, stepping down to the same ground as Lance. 

“Lance McClain, your highness.”

“Lance McClain.” Lotor repeated, tasting the name on his tongue. “It was lovely to meet you. I hope to see you again.”

Lance felt disgusting -disgusted, too, but also disgusting, like it was his fault- as Lotor picked up his hand and kissed the back of it, yet he showed no emotion to it. He refused to give this man any form of satisfaction. He hoped he never had to see him again. 

Yet here he was, almost two years later, standing behind the double doors leading from eve the castle to the square. Lotor’s fiance. Lance felt gross. He felt like he was betraying his dead love, even though logically he knew he couldn’t betray someone who was dead. He wouldn't be doing this if he wasn’t forced. Lotor knew he didn’t love him. The Prince knew that Lance vowed to never love again, after what happened to Keith. But he hadn’t cared. He’d ordered Lance, threatening he’d burn the farm and the village if he didn’t agree to marry him. Lance had no choice in the end. 

“My people..... a month from now, our country shall have its 500th anniversary. On that sundown, I shall marry a man who was once a commoner like yourselves.” Prince Lotor’s voice rang out across the square, over the wall’s and pounding on Lance’s skull. “But perhaps, you will not find him so common now. Would you like to meet him?” 

The resounding yes coming from the square overwhelmed Lance. Just how many people had come here today? The guards moved to the doors, preparing to open them on Lotor’s command. A wave caused the door to swing wide, and Lance began to step onto the carpet laid before him as he’d been instructed. He saw the crowd hold their breath, cape trailing behind him as he walked. He came into the sun, and would’ve winced if he wasn’t looking down. 

The small tiara on his head felt heavy, and the fabric of the cream suit made his shoulders sag. Lotor’s voice rang through the crowd, the smile in his voice evident. 

“Behold..... Prince Lance!” As he finally came to the end of the carpet laid out for him, he caught the eyes of the people, and smiled. One went to their knees. Then another. Those two people started a wave, as the crowd all went to their knees to show respect to Lance. The thing was, he wasn’t a prince yet. He wasn’t someone they had to bow to, and Lotor hadn’t told him to do so. 

Lance held back tears, and he felt the endless waves of emptiness consume him. This should be a moving moment, a happy celebration of love and joy, yet all he could feel was sadness. This was betrayal. 

—————

“Lance’s emptiness consumed him.” Coran said sadly, Allura not even wanting to roll her eyes. This was sad, and honestly interesting, even though logically enough to her nothing interesting had happened yet. Maybe it was the suspense? “Although the law of the land gave Lotor the right to choose his spouse, he did not love the future King. Despite Lotor’s assurance that Lance would grow to love him, the only joy Lance found was in his daily ride.”

——————

Through all the good, all the bad, Lance still loved the feeling of the wind in his hair. Despite the constant nagging in the back of his head that told him that when he returned there would be no farm boy, he was able to find peace and some semblance of love in riding Blue. 

Blue was his new horse, since Keith had taken Kaltenecker. Blue was gifted to him by Lotor, and though Lance didn’t want to take anything from Lotor he found that he couldn’t turn away the beautiful mare. 

He could already feel his spirits lifting, smiling softly as Blue cantered through the wood. He’d chosen one of his favorite outfits today, a deep red flowing suit, with puffy sleeves and pants. It was thinner, flow-ier. Honestly, the reason it was his favorite was because Keith had loved to see him in red. Once, when he’d gotten just enough money to buy himself and Keith nicer jackets to go to a friend’s wedding, he’d chosen a red jacket with darker pants. His favorite color was blue, he thought it matched his eyes. But blue was far more expensive, so he went with red. After coming out of his room, showing Keith the jacket, the taller man had crowded him against the wall and told him just how much he liked that color on Lance, with a few kisses peppered in. 

Needless to say, when Lotor gave Lance his pick of outfits, Blue and Red were his first choices. 

Almost two hours into his four hour ride, Lance found himself miles away from the city, and deep in the woods near the coast. He was following the path to the small dock, planning on turning around as soon as he hit the old well close after it, when he saw three figures in the road. 

The first was heavily built, yet the middle height of the three. He was missing one eye, and had a scowl on his face. His skin tone matched Lance’s own, though he seemed to have a bald head. The second was short, and probably came up to Lance’s chest, if that. He couldn’t tell what gender they were, with short, fluffy golden hair, and curious green eyes. The last was the tallest, and the biggest of the three. He had a yellow headband on, with ashy black hair and round features. But he was huge. Taller than Lance, probably taller than Keith had been. He looked like a giant. 

Blue nickered quietly, stomping shortly to voice her anxiety. Lance stilled her with a pat, and looked to the three. 

“A word, my lord?” The first asked, his frown void from his voice. He sounded almost cheerful. It was such a contrast from his face Lance wasn’t sure if he really heard it. “We are but poor, lost circus performers, separated from our troupe. Is there by chance a town nearby?” He asked, and Lance glanced at the three again. Something about the man set his nerves alight with caution, but the other two seemed calm. He took a breath before responding, Blue trotting closer to them. 

“I'm afraid not, no. There is nothing nearby, not for miles.” Lance replied. He was about to offer to lead them to the closest town, maybe he could help them! He had power, it wouldn’t be hard to help these three. But something that the man said caused Lance to go rigid. 

“Then there will be no one to hear you scream.” Lance’s eyes widened, and he pulled Blue’s reins sharply. But it was too late. The giant had reached out and grabbed his neck, and just as he made the beginnings of a scream, his world went black. 

~*~

Pidge and Hunk had voiced their concerns to each other about this job. Hunk didn’t want to scare the Prince, and Pidge didn’t trust Iverson. But, very few people were willing to hire an Italian, or a giant. Too unpredictable, apparently. When they’d finally captured Prince Lance, Hunk’s guilt only grew. The man was a bit younger than him, sure, but he’d seen sadness in his eyes. He’d seemed kind from the few seconds they’d talked, and definitely unsuspecting of their plan. 

Pidge’s concern had also grown. For some of the same reasons as Hunk, but mainly the fact that Iverson was acting suspicious. They were already wary, Iverson’s entire attitude towards Lance made it worse. They weren’t supposed to actually hurt the guy, were they? 

Pidge was drawn out of their own head when they heard the sound of ripping, so they turned their head towards it. Iverson was tearing a piece of cloth down the middle, then into a smaller piece and tucking it into the saddle of the Prince’s horse. 

“What is that you’re ripping?” Pidge asked, raising an eyebrow. Iverson didn’t turn as he answered. 

“Fabric, from the uniform of an Army officer of Olkarion.” 

“Who’s Olkarion?” Hunk chimed in. It wasn’t that Hunk was an idiot, no far from it. But him being a giant made it difficult to learn things from others, or travel the world like Iverson and Pidge had been able to do. Iverson only rolled his eyes, pointing across the sea as he hit the rump of the mare. The horse took off, and Iverson boarded the boat. 

“The country across the sea? The sworn enemy of Altea?!” He scoffed in annoyance once more, though neither Pidge nor Hunk had said anything. Hunk set the Prince down on the side of the boat, binding his feet so he wouldn’t be able to jump off the boat. “Once the horse reaches the castle, the fabric with make the Crown Prince suspect the Olkarions have abducted his love. When he finds his body dead on the Olkarion frontier, his suspicions will be totally confirmed.”

Hunk paused, and looked at Pidge nervously. She narrowed her eyes, and Hunk turned to Iverson. 

“Wait.... you never said anything about killing anybody?” He said nervously, a shaking tone to his voice. Iverson blanched, glaring at Hunk. 

“I’ve hired you to help me start a war. Its a prestigious line of work, with a long and glorious tradition!” He combated, not really addressing Hunk’s concerns but hoping to shut him up anyway. 

“I just,” Hunk started, as Iverson narrowed his eyes further. He gulped audibly before continuing. “I just don’t think its right..... killing an innocent boy.” Iverson growled, and stomped towards Hunk. 

“Am I going mad, or did the word ‘think’ escape your lips?” He snarled, causing Hunk to flinch and Pidge the straighten. “You were not hired for your brain’s, you hippopotamic land mass!” 

Pidge jumped from the dock, successfully untying the boat and hopping on board. 

“I agree with Hunk.” They said strongly, their face almost meeting Iverson’s shoulders. The man then whirled on the smaller person, true fury raging in his eyes. 

“Oh, so the sot has spoken!” He stormed up to them, and though Hunk didn’t want to see his companion screamed at, he was glad Iverson’s fury was away from him. “What happens to him is not truly your concern, now is it? I will kill him, and remember this, NEVER forget this,” Iverson growled loudly, grabbing Pidge’s collar to lift them up. Pidge showed no emotion, only staring the angry man down despite the fact that he was lifting them up like a child. “When i found you, you were so slobbering drunk that you couldn’t buy Brandy!” 

Iverson then wheeled on to Hunk as Pidge glowered after him. Yes, they had been drunk. Very drunk. So drunk that they couldn’t tell what was up, what was down, why the room was spinning. Iverson may have gotten them out of it, but he was no savior. 

“And you! Friendless, brainless, helpless, hopeless!” Iverson cursed, as Hunk started taking small steps back to avoid the smaller man's wrath. “Do you want me to send you back to where you were? Unemployed, in Samoa!?” Iverson spat, causing both Pidge and Hunk to wince. Hunk shook his head slowly, and Iverson stomped off to the front of the boat. Hunk looked like he was about to cry. 

Pidge took small, calculating steps forward. They could always make Hunk feel better with a little game, something they taught him on their journey here. Hunk had never received an education, though Pidge knew if he had he’d be one of the smartest people they would know. He was a quick learner. 

“That Iverson, he can fuss.” They said slowly, stressing the last word in a way Hunk would understand. 

“Fuss.... um..” Hunk murmured for a moment, before his eyes lit up in understanding. “I think he likes to scream at us.” Pidge smiled, nodding their head before speaking again. 

“Probably he means no harm.” 

“He’s..... he’s rather low on charm!” Hunk finished, and Pidge looked up proudly. 

“My man, you have a great gift for rhyme.” They exclaimed, tying up the rope to one of the rigs. Hunk pulled at the anchor, smiling all the while. 

“Yes, yes. Some other time.” 

“Enough of that!” Iverson snapped, not looking back from the front. Pidge shot Hunk a smirk, a mischievous look that meant they wanted to cause trouble. 

“Hunk, are there rocks ahead?” 

“If there are, we’ll all be dead!” Pidge and Hunk stifled a laugh as Iverson’s face turned red with fury, and he hissed at them both. 

“No more rhymes now, and I mean it!” 

“Anybody want a peanut?” 

A loud scream of frustration resounded over the water as the boat sailed into the distance, towards their destination of Olkarion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve posted the first two chapters today, but from here on out there will at least a week in between updates.


	3. You look Nervous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is sassy, and Iverson needs to shut his mouth.
> 
> Allura might be enjoying this book more than she lets on.

Pidge sat at the helm of the boat, gazing out onto the waters with the eye of a hawk, much to Hunk’s surprise. Pidge was the only one who actually knew how to steer a ship, even though they’d taught Hunk how to tie the knots, lower the mainsail, and other things one would need to know as a sailor. 

Hunk himself had chosen to sit by the Prince, who was now awake. Though, he was quiet. Too quiet. Hunk continuously glanced at him, watching as the Prince did nothing but stare at the boards. He wasn’t getting seasick though, so Hunk guessed it was better that way. 

Iverson was laying down, arms behind his head as he tried to rest for a while. They’d been sailing since noon, and it was now closer to three am. It was hard to tell with the sun gone, and the moon behind the clouds. 

Iverson’s eyes blinked open, and he noted Hunk’s uneasy stance. Sighing to himself, he grunted to get the man's attention. 

“We’ll reach the cliffs by dawn.” He said shortly, and Hunk nodded. Iverson also took note of Pidge, though narrowed his eyes when he saw them still glancing behind them. “Why are you doing that, Italian?” He hissed, and Pidge spared him a glance. 

“Making sure no one’s following us.” They said shortly. Iverson scoffed. 

“That would be inconceivable,” he muttered, settling back down in his spot. 

“Despite what you think,” a new voice rang out, clear and calm as a bell. All three were taken by surprise, and their attention turned to the half bound prince. “You will be caught. When you are, the Prince will see you all hanged. I will not stop him.” The prince said, as easily as if he was talking about the weather. He didn’t spit at them with venom, or anger. Just a calm tone of confidence. Hunk wondered if it was fake, or if he genuinely felt that way. Either way, he could see how Lance would make a good ruler. 

“Of all the necks on this boat, Highness, the one you should be worrying about is your own.” Iverson hissed, turning a look on the prince that made Hunk shiver in disgust. Why was he so leery? Iverson snapped his head back up to Pidge, and Hunk had barely noted the audible gulp the prince made before Iverson was speaking again. “Stop doing that. We can all relax, it’s almost over.” 

Pidge narrowed their eyes as Iverson closed his eyes, and Hunk fidgeted nervously. 

“You’re sure nobody is following us?” They asked, and Iverson gave an annoyed groan. 

“As I’ve told you, it would be absolutely, totally, and in all other ways inconceivable. No one in Olkarion knows what we have done, and no one in Altea could have gotten here so fast!” He said, not bothering to open his eyes. A beat past, and suddenly Iverson was narrowing his eyes, sitting up, and staring at Pidge seriously. “Out of curiosity, why do you ask?” 

“Well,” Pidge started, going to the very back of the helm. “It’s just.... I only happened to look behind us, and something was there.” They said, trying to see past the murky waters. The moon was hidden, making it difficult to see anything past their own boat. 

“What?” Iverson scrambled to get up, and Lance pulled himself away so his feet didn’t get trampled. Hunk and Iverson moved up to glare past the helm, watching as the moon finally peaked past the clouds, to reveal...... a ship. The waved of the open ocean rock them calmingly, and Iverson grasps for an explanation of why the black sailed ship does seem to be following them. And it’s moving like hell’s fire is underneath it. 

“Uh, it’s probably some local fisherman, out for a pleasure cruise.” Iverson tried to explain, but it sounded forced. “At night.” More forced. “Through eel infested waters.” Now it just sounded ridiculous. There's no way that was a fisherman. But Iverson was right, Altea couldn’t have moved this fast, and Olkarion didn’t know what had been done. 

Breaking the silence, was a mighty splash, causing all three of them to turn around. While they had been staring at the boat, trying to figure out if it was there, or what it was, Lance had untied his feet. Stupid of them, he thought, to tie his feet yet not his hand’s. Though, in truth, not many people knew how to swim well, and they were in the middle of the ocean. He’d jumped off the boat the first chance he got, kicking like hell away from the ship. He could hear Iverson scream, cursing at the two companions. Honestly, he felt kinda bad for them, the Italian and the Samoan. Pidge and Hunk, he thought their names were. 

“Go after him!” Iverson screeched, and Pidge shrugged. 

“I can’t swim.” They were being honest too. Sure, they wanted him to escape, but these waters were dangerous. 

“I only dog paddle.” Hunk explained as Iverson whirled on him. Another scream rang out, and Iverson started fussing to whirl the boat around. 

“Veer left! Left! Left!” He shrieked, as Pidge rolled the wheel violently. Lance was using the breast stroke his late mother had taught him, going as fast as he dared without exhausting himself. He was trying to book it to the ship, as anyone on board that vessel was likely kinder than these three who wanted him dead. 

And yet something stopped him mid stroke. A violent screech of an animal, a shriek. Lance paused, kicking back in surprise. Iverson laughed from the ship, and that reminded Lance to keep moving forward a bit. 

“Do you know what that sound is, Highness? Those are the Shrieking Eels! If you doubt me, just wait.” The man's voice rang out cruelly, and Lance was starting to get nervous. He didn’t want to marry Lotor, but he honestly would rather do that than die by being drowned while eaten alive. “They always get louder when they’re about to feast on human flesh.” 

Lance jumped back in the water as a large, black, and slick figure slid past his side. He doesn’t make a sound, he’s brave. But he knew if he didnt do something soon he’d die. That’s a terrifying thought, isn’t it. 

“If you swim back now, I promise, no harm will come to you. I doubt you’ll get such an offer from the eels.” For now, was Lance’s only thought. They wanted him dead, he wasn’t stupid. He’d seen Hunk and Pidge talking, seen the way Iverson leered at him. He wasn’t inclined to go back to the boat. And yet he hadn’t taken his eyes off of the water, waiting for any ripples to show him where the eels were. 

He noticed one smooth ripple, and a sleek body circling him to accompany it. He stays dead still, minus the light tread of his arms to stay above water. He can feel his skin paling as the long thing creeps closer, moving like a snake in the woods. There’s no way out. He’s not strong enough to kick it, or hit it, or anything to make the eel stop. He’s not close enough to either ship, nor can he swim that distance in such a short time. 

He shut his eyes tight as he saw a mouth open wide, the Eel shrieking horrible up close with its several rows of teeth. He kicked back once, raising his arms to cover his face, and felt a few drops of salty water roll down his cheeks. 

————

“He doesn’t get eaten by the eel at this time.” Coran says to Allura, holding a hand out reassuringly. She blinks twice, before her face twists up into one of confusion. 

“What?”

“The Eels don’t get to him. I’m explaining because you look nervous.” Coran explains, gesturing to Allura’s white knuckle grip on her sheets. She slowly lets go, smoothing the sheets down as some pink rises to her cheeks. 

“Well, I wasn’t nervous.” She tried to say, but after a few seconds of silence, with Coran watching her carefully, she finally gave a small shrug. “I mean, maybe i was a little bit concerned, but that really isn’t the same thing.” 

“Because i can stop now if you want”

“No!” Allura jumped in, before Coran even finished his sentence. She tried to cover up her liking for the book and annoyance at being told they could pause. She shrugged again, and ignored her Uncles triumphant smile. “You can read a little bit more.... if you want.” She said, playing with the ends of her hair. 

Coran nodded, opening up the book again and clearing his throat. 

“Alright. Where were we.... Do you know what that sound is, Highness? Those are the shrieking Eels!”

“We’re past that, Uncle Coran. You read that already.”

“Oh. Oh my goodness, I did. I’m sorry. Beg your pardon.” He said, scrolling back down the book. “Alright alright, lets see. Hmm, he was in the water, the eel was coming after him. He was frightened, the Eel started to charge him, and then-“

————

Suddenly Lance heard a thump, and no sooner did he hear it, he was jerked up out of the water in one fluid movement. He gasped at the loss of water, the ocean itself not being too cold, but coming out of it in the dead of night being freezing. The Samoan Lance was sure was named Hunk had jerked him out of the water, effectively saving his life as he set the terrified boy down on the deck. Lance shivered, wrapping his arms around himself as Iverson shouted at the two. 

“Put him down, just put him down!” Iverson snapped, and Hunk obeyed, setting Lance down on the deck gently. Lance’s knees gave out on him, shivering violently as the breeze the ship was riding on washed over his body. 

“He’s getting closer.” The shorter one, Pidge, called out to Iverson. The man was on the ground with Lance, tying both his hands and his feet this time. 

“He’s no concern of ours. Sail on!” He said to Pidge, only raising his voice to make sure they could hear him. “I suppose you think yourself brave, don’t you?” He hissed to Lance quietly, emphasizing the sentence by tying the wraps on his wrists far too tight. Lance didn’t even wince. 

“Only compared to some.” He said back, keeping eye level with Iverson. He may be cold, and scared out of his mind, but he was a Prince for better or worse. The day he’d bow his head for this weasel of a man was the day he’d loose what was left of his hope, and his dignity. 

The rest of the ride to Olkarion was filled with Iverson snapping to go faster, lack of sleep and tension about the ship following them causing him to have more attitude than normal. Lance could see Pidge glowering at Iverson every now and then, and Hunk’s meek gaze every time he was snapped at. It blew his mind how these two could end up with a man like Iverson. Pidge seemed to have too short a temper, and Hunk seemed too kind. 

As dawn rose, the ship seemed to be getting dangerously close, close enough to where they could see the faint outline of the person Captaining it, a man fully dressed in black. As they were approaching land, cliffs it seemed to Lance, Pidge hissed in annoyance. 

“Look! He’s right on top of us! I wonder if he’s using the same wind we’re using, he’s going too fast.” They said, murmuring an afterthought. Iverson laughed loudly, and pointed to the cliffs boldly. 

“Whoever he is, he is too late, see?” He exclaimed, excitement ringing in his voice. “The Cliffs of Insanity!” Lance thought that was fighting, considering Iverson’s insane personality. “Hurry up, move the thing! And... that other thing.” Lance frowned, and resisted rolling his eyes as Pidge and Hunk moved around, clearly knowledgeable about what they were doing. The slowed as Hunk dropped the anchor, the boat being dragged to a stop near one of the flatter rocks off the cliffs a rope was hanging off the edge of the cliff, and Lance felt his heart drop to his stomach. 

“Were safe.” Iverson said as he clambered off the boat, Hunk picking up Lance and Pidge tying the sea vessel off. “Only Hunk is strong enough to go up our way. That man’ll have to sail around for hours until he finds a safe harbor.” Lance flinched, and looked back at the boat. Maybe he was going to die today after all. 

Hunk grabbed the rope, strong in his grip, and it shakes all the way to the top. Lance had been set down close to the wall, and Pidge took a moment to cut the ties on his feet. 

“It’ll be easier on all of us if you can walk.” They explained hastily, though with Iverson’s gaze on them he wondered on who the explanation was for. Pidge rushed to strap a harness to Hunk, one that wrapped around his shoulders and chest, with the holsters a person could sit in. Pidge grabs Lance first, setting him on one of the harnesses in the back and tightening the straps. It went around his waist and his legs, tying him tight to the Samoan giant. Iverson strapped himself in, as did Pidge, before Hunk started to pull himself up. 

Lance stared straight up, gaping at the Cliffs of Insanity and praying they didn’t fall. That wouldn’t be a good end. He snapped his eyes shut once Hunk started climbing, and had to fight against burying his face into the mans back in anxiety and terror. The man climbed swiftly, even with three people tied to him. Pidge was strapped to his chest, watching the black sailed ship reach the same docking they had. Lance’s eyes were still snapped shut, and he almost whimpered when Hunk’s grasp slipped ever so slightly. 

Pidge’s face turns to one of disbelief as she watches the man in black grab the rope, and pull himself up hand over hand. The four were already over a third of the way up the cliffs, and yet you could believe this man was told they were mere inches away. 

“He’s climbing.” They hissed in annoyance, and Hunk tried to climb faster. Iverson wheeled around in his seat, staring down at the man with fury in his eyes. Lance didn’t dare look, but his face also scrunched up in confusion as he heard the Italians words. “And he’s gaining!”

“Inconceivable!” Iverson growls, and he prods Hunk to go faster. The poor man is already at his speed limit, and trying to go faster isn’t working. “Faster!” 

“I thought I was going faster?” Hunk replied, and though he didn’t sound breathless, he sounded strained. Lance thought that the poor man was being overworked, but stopped that thought as soon as he realized that he shouldn’t feel sympathy for his captor. 

“You were supposed to be this colossus. You were this great, legendary thing, and yet he gains.” Iverson spat at Hunk, growling from the man’s back. 

“Well, I'm carrying three people, and he’s got only himself.” Hunk replied, and Iverson scoffed. 

“I do not accept excuses. I’ll just have to find myself a new giant, that's all.” He hissed, shaking his head. Lance couldn’t see it, but he could feel Pidge’s hair on his arm as they shook their head at Iverson. 

“Don’t say that Iverson, please?” Hunk sounded hurt, like it physically wounded him to hear Iverson insult him. Looking down at the man in black, Pidge startled when they realized the man was gaining, and by quite a lot. Hunk’s lead was waning, and the man in black was speeding up. 

“Did i make it clear that your job is at stake?” Iverson snapped again as they neared the top. Hunk is almost there, dangerously close to the top as the man in black continued to climb. As soon as Hunk reached the top, with the man in black barely 100 feet behind him, Iverson scrambled for his knife and started to cut at where the rope was tied, on a massive rock with plenty to spare tied around it. Lance now understood how on earth it was able to hold their weight. Pidge pulled Lance out of his harness, tossing him to the ground as they turned to help pull Hunk up before he fell along with the man in black. When they were all on the ground, Iverson gave one more hack, and the rope slipped from the cliff. Pidge helped Lance to his feet first, before going to peer over the edge of the cliff. Hunk peered over the edge with them, and Lance silently mourned the poor man who’d given his life trying to help him. 

“He has very good arms.” Hunk muttered, and Lance’s head snapped up. What? Iverson was growling, and Pidge seemed far beyond impressed. He rushed to the edge, leaning over the edge of the rocks almost dangerously as he peered down the cliffs. 

There he was, the man in black, as he clung to the face of the cliff desperately. Lance breathed out a short laugh as Iverson whirled around. 

“He didn’t fall?! Inconceivable!” He yelled, and he almost threw his knife to the ground. Pidge turned to Iverson slowly, and tilted their head with a frown. 

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” They said shortly, and Iverson huffed through his nose before turning away. A small sound of stone scraping caused them to look down again, causing Pidge’s eyebrows pinched together. “My God. He’s climbing.”

The man in black, slowly but surely, was climbing the face of the cliff. His boots and gloves had a hard time finding the right groves, but he was climbing. 

“Whoever he is, he’s obviously seen us with the prince, and therefore must die.” Iverson chimed in, and Hunk gulped slowly. Lance’s eyes were still tied to the figure before him, awed at this man who continued to climb at a slow but steady pace. “You,” he gestured to Hunk. “carry him.” ‘Him’ Lance assumed was himself, and was proven right as Hunk picked him up gently, muttering a sorry to the boy. Lance didn’t smile or respond, just stared at the giant of a man picking him up. “We’ll head straight for the Olkarion frontier. Catch up when the man is dead. If he falls, fine, if not, the sword.” He said to Pidge, bluntly waving his hands in their face. 

They frowned, and glanced back down at the man. They nodded at Iverson, but then held up their left hand. 

“I want to face him left handed.” Iverson groaned at the mention of it, and wheeled on Pidge. 

“You know what a hurry we’re in!”

“But it’s the only way i can be satisfied. If i use my right,” they clicked their tongue in annoyance, and waved the said hand in the air. “Over too quickly.” 

Iverson shrugged, annoyance written on his face but realizing he won’t win this battle. “Oh very well, have it your way.” He said, and Pidge smirked victoriously. Hunk approached Pidge, Lance in tow, and leaned down to their height so Iverson couldn’t hear. 

“Please be careful. People in masks cannot be trusted.” He murmured, before Iverson said something about hurrying up. Hunk, carrying Lance, walked off with Iverson, leaving Pidge at the edge of the cliff to wait, and the man in black to climb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! New chapter, and I kept up with the update schedule. Lucky you. 
> 
> Make sure to leave a Kudos, and comment all you like! Tell me my mistakes grammar or otherwise so i can fix them plzzzz.


	4. My name is Pidge Holt. You Killed my family. Prepare to die.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is mad at Lance, but low key, Keith and Pidge meet, And i’m bad at writing sword fights.

When Keith got his hands on Lance, he swore he was going to strangle him to death before he even got his long awaited explanation of why the hell he was marrying anyone else. Why hadn’t he waited? Why had he agreed to marry Lotor when Keith had promised he’d come back for him? Keith had no idea, but after hearing about the wedding, he swore he would find Lance, get an explanation, and chop off Lotor’s... limbs, yes, his limbs, for trying to steal his love. 

Seeing Lance captured by these three idiots had been both a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because he now knew he could get Lance alone almost effortlessly, and a curse because these fools wanted to kill him. Of course, Lance hadn’t been making it easy for them. When Keith had heard the faint splash and seen something swimming away from the boat he beamed with pride, right up until he realized these were eel infested waters and Lance could easily get himself killed. He had to thank the universe for small miracles, like how these three seemed to want him alive until they got to Olkarion. 

He’d paled when he saw the giant of a man carrying Lance and two others up the cliff, fear for Lance rushing through his veins. He hated seeing Lance’s eyes shut and shaking. He clambered after them, desperate to get to the boy, well, probably man by now, before he was murdered. When he felt the tension on the rope loosen, he’d grabbed purchase on the cliff at just the right moment, the rope coiling at the bottom. He kept his eyes up, watching as they all leaned over the edge, Lance himself looking at Keith in awe. It made Keith’s ego skyrocket, he wouldn’t lie. 

As he tried to climb further, knowing that there was someone at the top who wanted to try and kill him, he tried not to decide on whether or not he was going to reveal his identity to Lance immediately. One thing at a time. He’d heard the conversation from the top, he had good ears. 

He saw a tiny pebble fall from the top, and looked up to see the smallest of the three looking down at him. 

“Hello there!” The voice called down, and Keith grunts in annoyance. Was this person seriously trying to start a conversation with him while he was scaling the cliff? “Slow going?”

Keith rolls his eyes, and snaps his head up at the person. With as much politeness as he can manage, which isn’t much, he yelled back. It was laced with more of his trademark attitude than he meant it to be. 

“Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but this is not nearly as easy as it looks. So, I would appreciate it if you didn’t distract me.”

“Sorry.” Came the persons reply. 

“Thank you.” Keith muttered, continuing his climb and almost slipping on one rock. 

“I do not suppose you could speed things up?” The person called back, and Keith looked up incredulously. Was this person serious? Where they asking him to scale the thousand foot cliff faster? All so they could duel?

“If you’re in such a hurry,” Keith growled out, his anger getting the best of him. “You could lower a rope, or a tree branch, or find something useful to do?” He saw the smile of the persons face as they shrugged, and Keith stilled as he found solid purchase in the cliff. 

“I could. In fact, I have some rope up here. But i do not think you will accept my help, since I am only waiting around to kill you?” They phrased it like a question, and Keith could feel his patience thinning. He took a few deep breaths before responding. After all, if he hadn’t learned to curb his anger on his travels, he would’ve rushed back to Lance first chance he got, instead of staying on his ship and gaining his much sought after fortune. 

“That does put a damper on our relationship.” He stated, groaning quietly as he heaved himself up a considerable way before finding another rock to grab. 

“But I promise I will not kill you until you reach the top.” They grinned, and Keith shook his head. 

“While that is comforting, i’m afraid you’ll just have to wait.” Keith was in a hurry, sure, but he wasn’t going to risk his life and getting to Lance for the simple promise of doing so faster. 

“I hate waiting.” He heard the person mutter. He almost laughed, if he wasn’t so focused on not falling. “I could give you my word as an Italian?” They called back, and Keith barked out a harsh laugh. 

“No good. I’ve known to many Italians.” 

“You dont know any way you’ll be able to trust me?”

“Nothing comes to mind.” It is suspiciously silent for a moment, and Keith looks back up to see if the pesky Italian would leave him alone. They hadn’t moved. Keith growled in annoyance, and continued to climb until the voice stopped him. Their right hand was raised over their heart. 

“I swear on the soul of my father, Samuel Holt, my mother, Colleen Holt, and my brother, Matt Holt, you will reach the top alive.” Keith paused. Italian’s were untrustworthy. But there was one thing they didn’t mess around with: family. 

“Throw me the rope.” As soon as he said it, the tiny person smiled, and disappeared over the edge. Mere seconds later, a rope fell over the edge and Keith grabbed on. He pulled himself up the whole way, and wasn’t too surprised after that vow that he reached the top alive. As soon as he reached the top, he shook himself, and nodded to the Italian. “Thank you.”

“We’ll wait until you’re ready.” They gestured to Keith’s hand, which was already on his sword. Keith pushed it back into it’s sheath, and sat down on a nearby rock. 

“Again, thank you.” He murmured, and took off one of his boots. Several pebbles and a good sized rock fell out, the pirate style boots being his favorite that he owned. He slipped it back on, and stretched before the person asked another question. 

“I do not mean to pry, but you don’t by any chance happen to have six fingers on your right hand?” Keith raised an eyebrow, though it couldn’t be seen past his mask. 

“Do you always begin conversations this way?” He asked, a small smirk tugging at his lips. The person shrugged in a ‘yeah basically’ fashion. 

“My family was slaughtered by a six fingered man.” They explained, and Keith’s smirk dropped. This person was barely as old as him, and he was around 34 years old. Lance must be 30 by now, huh? He held up his gloved hand, five fingers. The Italian nodded, then continued talking. 

“He was a great swords maker, my father. My mother was the leather worker for the sheaths. When the six fingered man appeared, requesting a special sword, my parents took the job. They slaved a year before it was done.” They pulled out a sword in one fluid movement. The steel was flawless, the handle painted gold with jewels encrusted onto the handle. A beautiful tool, to be sure. 

As the shorter adult handed it off, Keith’s eye’s widened. It was perfectly balanced too. This was one of the finest swords he’d ever seen. 

“I’ve never seen it’s equal.” He admitted, and handed it back. He had to remind himself that he needed to fight this person and most likely kill them, though the second part of that plan seemed less appealing. They did capture Lance under threat of death though....

“The six finger man returned and demanded it, but at only one tenth his promised price. My parents refused. Without a word, the six fingered man slashed them through their hearts. My older brother tried to run to get the guards, but he killed him too. Matt, my brother, had hidden me in one of the closets to keep me safe. I watched the whole thing. I burst out after he’d killed my brother, and challenged him to a duel.” They made a small shrugging move, and Keith already knew where this was going. “I failed. He left me alive, for some godforsaken reason. But he left me with this.” 

The tilted their head, and traced two scares on either side of their cheek with their thumb. Keith’s eyes widened slightly, and he leaned forward. 

“How old were you?”

“I was ten. When I was strong enough, i dedicated my life to the study of fencing. So the next time we meet, i won’t fail. I will walk up to the six fingered man and say, ‘Hello. My name is Pidge Holt. You killed my family. Prepare to die.’” Keith nodded, honestly and genuinely impressed. 

“You’ve done nothing but study swordplay?” He asked curiously. 

“More a pursuit than study, lately. You see, i cannot find him.” They admitted, sitting down next to Keith and sighing. “It’s been fifteen years already, and i’m starting to loose confidence. I just work for Iverson to pay the bills, you know? Theres not a lot of money in revenge.” They finished, and Keith sighed. He’d made up his mind. He’d knock them out. He wouldn’t kill someone who still needed to do something in their life. If someone killed him before he saw Lance again, he’d loose his mind before he reached purgatory. 

Keith stood, finally, and handed the Italian back their sword. He drew his own, and took two paces to step away from them. 

“Well, i certainly hope find him one day.” His voice was void of sarcasm, and Pidge knew he was being genuine. 

“You are ready then?” The inquired, certainly seeming more excited than Keith was for this. He just saw it as another obstacle to reaching Lance. 

“Whether i am or i am not, you have been more than fair.” He pointed out, and Pidge shrugged. 

“You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you.” Keith smirked, and tilted his head in response. 

“You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die.”

Then it began. Talking ceased (Keith’s second favorite part of dueling) and they circled each other. They were each a reasonable distance away from each other, making small moves to trip each other up. It started when Pidge made a small feinting move on Keith, and the man easily blocked and moved. The same happened again, but with Keith doing the feinting. 

Suddenly it was a real duel, the shifting back and forth that gave Keith the adrenaline he craved in a fight. The terrain was rocky, ruins all over the place, and small hill like structures all around. It was onto one of these structures Pidge pushed Keith, and the older man grinned. This was going to be fun. 

“You are using Bonetti’s defense against me, eh?” Pidge asked, pushing Keith to the top hill. Keith smirked, and tilted his head shortly. 

“I thought it fitting, considering the rocky terrain.” 

“Naturally, you must expect me to attack with Capo Ferro?” 

“Naturally,” Keith stated, as Pidge’s style shifted to the spoken fence. He shifted his style as well, appreciating the look of surprise on their face. “But i find Thibault cancels out Capo Ferro, dont you?”

Pidge made a swipe against Keith’s stomach, and the taller jumped back, and off of the small hill back onto flat ground. 

“Unless the enemy has studied their Agrippa-“ Pidge started, doing a flip off the edge so Keith would have to turn around. Keith stood, quite impressed with this person as they stood. “Which i have.”

The duel resumed, and at this point it was obvious both are masters. Keith wonders if he’s going to have to play dirty to win. He doesn’t want to, but he would if it meant he could get to Lance. Keith kept pressing back, towards the edge of the cliff, and Pidge took a tentative look behind them. 

“You are wonderful!” Pidge exclaimed, smiling as they fought. Keith wanted to laugh at how happy they were fighting him, but held his tongue. 

“Thank you, i’ve worked hard to become so.” He replied, and Pidge smirked again. 

“I admit, you are better than I am.” 

“Then why are you smiling?”

Italians where easy to figure out. They didn’t have very good poker faces, and Pidge’s was one of the better ones he’d seen. 

“Because i know something you don’t know.” Keith quirked an eyebrow in curiosity, and pushed them back against one of the rock walls against the cliff. 

“Because i know something you dont.”

“And what is that?”

“I am not left handed.” And with that Pidge pushed Keith back, and swapped the sword in their hand. Keith’s eyes widened, and he smiled brightly. They’d done the same thing he’d done. Excellent. 

The way the battle is flowing is immediately turned, the scales tipped into Pidge’s favor. They forced him up the stairs to a crumbled tower, the walls and roof long gone. Keith is struggling, and Pidge is grinning like a madman. They may be shorter, but they somehow force him to be leaning over the towers edge, and Keith grunts. 

“You’re amazing!” He says, trying not to grunt at the effort it takes to stand and not topple over the edge. 

“I ought to be, after fifteen years.” Came Pidge’s reply. Keith smirked, and took a breath. 

“There’s something i ought to tell you.” He hissed, and Pidge leaned back ever so slightly in curiosity. 

“Oh? Tell me.” Keith smirks, and looks them dead in the eye. 

“I am not left handed either.” 

He swaps hands by tossing the sword up a small ways, catching it, and twirling it for show before feinting once more. Keith, almost effortlessly in Pidge’s surprise, twists the sword out of their hand and onto the ground behind a horizontal beam. 

Pidge stalls, looking at the man in shock. Keith taps their foot with his sword, and grins as it sends them scrambling for the moss covered bar. They swing once, before landing fluidly on the ground and scrambling for the sword. 

Keith watches, and maybe decides to show off a little. It’s rare someone new come’s along he can show his skills to. He threw the sword, it landing in a pile of moss before he jumped, doing a full circle around the bar before letting go, circling the air in a backflip, and landing flawlessly on the ground next to his sword. He admitted, that was extra even for him. 

As he stood, he pulled the sword from the ground, one arm behind his back. Pidge stared at him in awe, and gasped out a few incoherent sounds before speaking. 

“Who are you?” They asked, and Keith’s smirk never faltered. 

“No one of consequence.” 

“Please, i must know.”

“Get used to disappointment.”

Pidge paused for a moment, before realizing they weren’t going to get an answer. They muttered an ok before moving to attack again, though Keith was faster this time. Keith pushes them back for several moment’s until they’re right by where they started. Pidge was getting desperate, mostly annoyed, and started getting sloppy in their movements. Keith fed off of this, effortlessly parrying and attacking until he saw the perfect opportunity to disarm Pidge. He took it, and their sword went far enough to where it was out of their reach. 

Pidge stops, and fails to their knees in a shaking grip. They couldn’t believe this person’s skill. And if they were going to be killed by anyone, they were glad it was someone who bested them in a fight. 

“Kill me quickly, please.” Keith laughed, though there was no malice in it. It almost made Pidge wonder if he was going to kill her slow. 

“I would as soon destroy a stained glass window than a master and artist like yourself. Please understand i hold you in my highest respects. But, since i cannot have you following me either.” Keith circled behind Pidge as he spoke, and raised the butt of his sword. He brought it down harshly, knocking out the man in a single blow. He didn’t use enough force to make them bleed, however, and turned to the footsteps leading to the Olkarion frontier. 

“I’m coming for you Lance. To rescue you, or to kill you myself.” Keith murmured, zero malice in his tone when he talked about the person he still loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, i can’t write fights for the life of me. I hope ya’ll enjoyed it though! Kudos, comments, you know the drill. Im so tired ngl.


	5. Killing Each Other Like Civilized People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Im so tired i can’t write a summary yeet

“Inconceivable!” Iverson screeched, shaking in quiet rage as a figure clad in black runs over the hills. Hunk’s blood was cold, and he frowned in worry. Was Pidge alright? Did the man in black kill them, or leave them alive? They had been waiting for them hidden in a rock formation about a ten minutes walk from where they’d left Pidge at the ruins, but this man was running. 

Lance, situated in Hunk’s arms, was blank faced. He was impressed that the man had defeated Pidge, with them bragging about their skills almost half an hour ago. 

“Give him to me.” Iverson growled at Hunk, and Lance was set on the ground gently. Iverson snatched Lance, tugging at the bonds and making them burn his wrists. Lance didn’t even wince. “Catch up with us quickly.”

Hunk gave Iverson a confused look, then glanced back at the man in black, who was steadily making his way over the green plains. 

“What do i do?”

“Finish him, just finish him! Your way.” Iverson hissed, and Hunk smiled. 

“Ah, my way! Thank you Iverson.” He took a pause, then turned back to the older man, who was practically dragging Lance along as fast as the two of them could walk. “Which ways my way?”

“Pick up one of those rocks, and get behind a boulder. In a few minutes the man in black will come running around the bend. The moment his head is in view, hit it with the rock!!” Iverson snarled, pointing to his own head and then pointing to some of the rocks on the ground. Lance’s eyebrows pinched as Iverson talked, and he glanced at the larger man. He didn’t really think it was good to talk to you’re employees that way. At least, that was the assumed relationship between the two. 

“Hm. Alright,” Hunk murmured as Iverson stormed away, Lance in tow. “My ways not very sportsman like.” Hunk grumbled, as he did as was instructed and hid behind one of the boulders. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Keith wasn’t even close to being out of breath, and yet he paused. Coming around the bend slowly, he listened intently for any sound of the leaders harsh commands, the larger man’s soft question’s or even Lance’s biting remarks. When he heard nothing, he continued walking, though to be fair at a slower pace. 

As he walked, not even ten seconds since he’d paused, a rock came flying from his right, and smashed into the rock just in front of his face. He took an alarmed step back and to the side, facing where the rock came from with his sword drawn. He could’ve sworn no one was here, but as the larger man with the yellow head band stepped out from behind the boulder, he realized he was wrong. 

“I did that on purpose. I didn’t have to miss.” The man said, and Keith’s eyebrows did a small raise. He gulped before answering, deciding to choose his words carefully. 

“I believe you. What happens now?” He asked, shifting his feet just in case he needed to move out of the way. The man still had a rock in his hand. 

“We face each other as God intended.” The man stated, seeming quite proud of his statement. “Sportsman like. No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone.”

Keith wanted to bark out a laugh. Was this guy serious?

“You mean, you’ll put down your rock, I pit down my sword, and we just.... try to kill each other like civilized people?” He asked, the question sounded slightly ridiculous in his own ears. 

The man raised the rock, shrugging his shoulders slight and spoke in a tone that didn’t match the words he spoke. 

“I could kill you now, if you’d rather.” Keith shook his head, and slowly started to place down his sword. He made a small gulping sound, and then stood back to his full height. 

“Frankly, i think the odds are slightly in your favor with hand fighting.” He admitted, though his chances were better at hand fighting then having rocks chucked at him. Pick your battles, Keith. 

“It’s not my fault being the biggest and the strongest. I don’t even exercise.” The man stated, and Keith watched as he threw the large rock he’d been holding over his shoulder. 

Keith was tall, and he was fit. He stood a good two inches over Lance before he left, though it was probably closer to three or four now. His chest was broader than most men he came across, as were his legs. This man, however, made Keith seem like a shrimp. A tiny, baby shrimp. 

Keith rushed at the man, slamming into his stomach in a move that would’ve knocked most men over. Keith just felt like he’d hit a squishy wall. He let out a grunt, and backed up slowly. He ran at the man again, attempting to lift him up and over. He failed, obviously. 

Finally, Keith took three large steps back, and fixed Hunk with an annoyed look. 

“Look, are you just fiddling with me, or what?” He snapped, his annoyance as clear on his face as it was in his words. Hunk just smiled, shrugging shortly. 

“I just want you to feel you’re doing well! I hate for people to die embarrassed.” He stated, moving forward to try and grab Keith. The black clad man had no doubt if he got trapped in those arms, they would squish him to death. He dropped between the giants legs, rolling so he was clear out of the way and behind the larger man. 

“You’re quick!” The man said, a smile on his face. Keith nodded, his hands up by his face. 

“A good thing, too.” 

“Why are you wearing a mask?” The man asked, coming at Keith again. He threw a few punches, but for all his strength he was a little slow. “Were you burned by acid or something like that?”

“Oh no, it’s just they’re terribly comfortable. I believe everyone will be wearing one in the future.” He stated sarcastically, and would’ve been rolling his eyes if he didn’t need to focus. Hunk launches again, but this time near a boulder. Keith dodges, using a different rick as leverage to launch onto the man’s back. The man gave out a loud ‘oof’, and Keith smirked in triumph. ‘If you’re facing a larger opponent, use their own strengths against them. If they’re big and hit heavy, you have a better chance choking them than you do stabbing them.’ Kolivan had meant it as a joke, but Keith thanked the man now for his sense of humor. 

“I think i just figured out why you’re giving me so much trouble.” The man grunted, slamming Keith’s back into a rock as he spoke. Keith just held onto his neck tighter. The mans neck was so thick it almost felt as well around as Lance’s waist. Why could’t he stop thinking about that man?

“Oh? Why is that, do you think?” Keith asked through the pain, and he felt the mans breathing getting shallower. 

“Well, i haven’t fought just one person in so long, you know?” He stated, slamming into another rock. “I usually specialize in groups, battling gangs for local charities, that kind of thing.” Keith raised an eyebrow, catching his breath from where it’s been driven out of him. 

“And why would that make such a-“ he stopped as the man slammed into another rock, and Keith’s voice became painfully strained. “Difference.” Good lord this man was strong. 

“Well, you see,” he started, his voice straining against Keith’s hold, and falling to one knee. “You use different move’s when you’re fighting against multiple people.... than when..” he was on both knees now, gasping for air. “You only have to worry about one.” He finished, collapsing against the earth. 

Keith held on for just a moment longer, then hopped off the man and rolled him over. Her placed an ear to his heart, and smiled when he heard it beating. 

“I do not envy the head ache you’ll have in the morning, man. Until then,” he stated, standing to grab his sword and put it back in its sheath. “Sleep well, and dream of large women. Or men.” He added as an after though. “Whatever you’re into.”

The Keith took off running, past the boulders and towards the foot prints the leader and Lance had made. He kept running, past a few trees and over some hills, until finally he ran past a large willow. 

Underneath it sat Lance, blindfolded and hands bound, with his head down and chewing his lip in worry. So he still had that habit. Keith remembered when he’d seem Lance do that at the farm, and he would rush up to his lover and kiss him to make him stop. He would litter Lance’s cheek and mouth with small pecks until he was laughing, so Lance wouldn’t tear the skin. 

Of course, he couldn’t focus on happy memories with the man he loved. Pointed at his love’s neck, being held by the leader of the three people who’d captured Lance, was a very sharp knife.


	6. It is Down to You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We don’t see Allura, but we see Lotor and his generals!!! 
> 
> Keith is pissed, and Lance is a sad moron for a chapter and a half.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realized I never ACTUALLY posted last week, I just kinda thought about it. I’m sorry!! However, every other week might have to become the norm for me soon. School sucks, ya know??

“There was..... a mighty.... duel.” Lotor murmured, tracing the steps carefully as he paced the ruins. “It ranged all over!” 

“Who won?” Ezor called from the back. 

“The loser..... ran off alone. The winner-“ he paused, looking up. “Followed those footprints towards Olkarion. 

“Shall we follow them both?” Acxa called. 

“No. The loser means nothing. Only the princess matters.” The prince responded, mounting his horse. Narti raised an eyebrow, and Ezor called over Zethrids shoulder. 

“Do you think it’s a trap?” She called, and Lotor laughed. 

“I always think everything is a trap. Which is why i’m still alive.”

~*****~

“So,” the leader spoke, and Keith had to restrain himself from attacking then and there. This man was still talking after threatening Lance, and honestly? Keith refused to let that stand for long. He’d avoided killing up to this point because the two others he’d fought seemed like good people, and hadn’t really hurt Lance. This man, however, was holding a knife to his throat. “It is down to you, and it is down to me.”

Keith pursed his lips into a smile, playing the nonchalant side of foiling his capture. He couldn’t show that he would give the world for the person at knife point, as that could cause the leader to use Lance as leverage. He moved forward slowly, raising his hands in an attempt to show that he ‘meant not harm’.

“If you wish him dead then by all means keep moving forward.” The man growled, and gestured to Lance haphazardly. Keith only paused a moment before his smirk became real and he continued forward. 

“Let me explain-“ he began, but the man with, admittedly, all the power cut him off. 

“There’s nothing to explain. You are trying to kidnap what I have rightfully stolen!”

“Perhaps,” Keith tried, mostly just trying to stall until he had a solid plan. “An arrangement can be reached?”

“There will be no arrangement. And you are killing him!” The man snarled, and pressed the knife harder to Lance’s neck. Lance hissed in pain, stiffening at the feeling of a knife against his neck. Lance tried to lean back, but the mans grip on his arm kept him from going anywhere. Keith’s feet stopped moving immediately, his smile slack as soon as he saw Lance go rigid. 

“Well, if no arrangement can be made, then we are at an impasse.” Keith said, his voice even with distain. 

“I’m afraid so,” the man said, and in this smug voice that made Keith want to tear him apart. “I can’t compete with you physically, and you are no match for my brains.” 

Thats more like it. Keith kept his satisfied smirk down, and instead attempted to sound impressed. 

“You’re that smart?” 

“Let me put it this way,” and at that point Keith knew he found this man’s weakness. He valued his brains? “Ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?” 

“Yes-“

“Morons.” Now Keith couldn’t contain a tiny smile. This was going to be too easy. He glanced at the food and drink on the table, and his idea became solid in a matter of one second. 

“Really?” He asked. “In that case, I challenge you to a battle of wits.” He said with a wicked smirk. 

“For the prince?” The man asked, mirroring Keith’s smirk. Keith gave a single, slow nod. “To the death!?” Keith gave the nod again, though to be honest this man seemed a little too excited to fight to the death. 

“I accept.”

“Good! Then pour the wine.” Keith gestured to the cups and continued to walk forward, this time getting no whimpers from Lance as the knife was removed from his throat. He took a deep breath of momentary relief before glancing at the wine glasses. 

He pulled the small capsule of iocane, popping the cap off and handing it to the man. “Inhale this, but do not touch.” He said quietly. Keith was oh so tempted to tell the man to taste it, but that would seem suspicious and in the process he would loose Lance. 

“I smell nothing.” The man said shortly, handing the powder back. 

“What you do not smell is called iocane powder. It is odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in liquid, and is among the more deadly poisons known to man.” Keith stated, taking the powder container carefully and watching as the man hummed in response and tilted his head. 

Keith took the goblets, notting the mans excitement at the thought of the possibility of death. A thrill seeker, perhaps. He turned so that the cups could not be seen, before emptying the powder container. He made sure to split the poison equally, and thanked Thace for all that poison training he’d made him endure. 

The man next to Lance grinned as Keith set the cups back down on the table, leaning back with interest. Keith spared a glance at Lance, who was still worrying his lip between his teeth. He didn’t seem scared though, more deep in thought. Keith didn’t look at Lance for too long before turning his attention back to the man. 

“Alright, where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink. Then we find out who is right,” Keith gave a wicked grin of his, and stared the man into his eyes, deep. “And who is dead.”

The leader huffed, rolling his eyes ever so slightly. It made Keith pause, wonder if he really would pick immediately. 

“Well, it’s so simple. All I must do is divine from you. Are you the sort of man who would put the poison in his own goblet, or his enemy’s?”

Keith raised an eyebrow, and watched the mans smirk grow. He really assumed he had this all figured out didn’t he. 

“Now, a wise man would put the wine into his own goblet, because only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. However, you must’ve known I was not a great fool. In fact, I bet you counted on it! So, I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.” 

“You’ve made your decision then?” Keith was growing agitated. The man was stalling, and in doing so Prince Lotad, or whatever his name was, was getting closer. In getting closer, Keith could loose Lance. 

“Oh, not remotely. Iocane comes from Marmora, as everyone knows, and is entirely populated with Pirates!” Keith grit his teeth at the mans distaste for Marmorans. He happened to be one himself thank you very much. “Pirates are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me. Therefore, I cannot choose the wine in front of you.”

“Truly,” Keith said, sarcasm dripping in his tone. “You have a dizzying intellect.” That drew a tiny smile from Lance. Keith locked on to that smile, refusing to look away until it faded. He missed part of what the man was saying, what a shame. 

“Just wait till I get going! Where was I?”

“Australia.” Keith answered without a beat. 

“Yes! Australia. And you must have suspected I knew the powders origin, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.”

Keith grit his teeth, trying so hard not to lunge at this smug man and keep his tone even. 

“You’re just stalling now.” He failed. 

“You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you!” The man yelled, and Lance jumped. Keith’s posture relaxed as he saw Lance tense, trying to be calmer for his sake, even if Lance was blindfolded. “You’ve beaten my giant, which means you’re exceptionally strong. You could’ve put the poison in your own goblet, trusting your strength to save you. So, I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you’ve also bested my Italian, which means you must have studied, and hard. In studying, you must have learned that man is mortal, so you would’ve put the poison as far from you as possible! So, I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. 

Keith didn’t want to admit it, but this mans thorough process made some sense. Keith didn’t like how it was going. If the man figured out his plan...

“You’re trying to trick me into giving away something. It won’t work.” Keith hissed, crossing his arms over his chest and cocking an eyebrow at the man. 

“It has worked! You’ve given away everything away! I know where the poison is!” The man says confidently, and Keith feels a satisfactory smile take his face. 

“Then make your choice.” 

“I will! And I chose- what in the world is that?” The man said, and for a moment Keith feared he had run out of time, that Lance’s.... fiancé, gross, was upon them. But there was nothing. 

“What, where?” He asked, and he heard the man snicker. 

“I- well I could’ve sworn I saw something. Hm, no matter.” And then he snickered. Snickered. Like something... oh. 

“Whats so funny?” Keith acted like he had no idea what was going on , of course. What else was he meant to do when he was so close to having Lance and getting this fool a quick death? 

“I’ll tell you in a moment. First, we drink. Me from my glass, and you from yours.” Keith nodded, lifting the glass to his lips as the man did the same. It honestly didn’t matter which the man chose, he’d die either way. 

“You choose wrong” Keith grinned, watching as the man laughed in glee as the finished drinking. 

“You only think i guessed wrong, thats whats funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned!” He cackled, his volume ringing over the plains. Keith just watched and smirked as the man kept laughing. “You fool, you fell for one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war with Asia, but only slightly less known is this! Never go up against a Sicilian, when DEATH is on the line!” The man just cackled as Keith watched, until moments later it stops. And a thud is heard. 

Lance tilted his head slightly to try and hear any movement, his vision still blocked by the cloth. He jumped as he felt hands touch the back of his head. Larger than Iverson, but a bit softer at the touch. 

He blinked as sunlight hit his eyes, and stared straight at the man in front of him. It was indeed the man in black from the cliff, though Lance had a hard time believing he was still alive. 

“Who are you?” 

The man stiffened. Lance...... didn’t remember him? At all? Not his voice, or his eyes, or.... his gaze hardened as he pulled Lances binds at his feet apart, trying not to be harsh despite his anger. However angry Lance made him, however many times he broke his heart, he could never hurt the beautiful man. 

“I am no one to be trifled with, and that’s all you ever need know.” He pulled Lance to his feet, and watched the shorter look to the leader. 

“To think... it was your cup poisoned all along.” Lance murmured, before Keith huffed a laugh. 

“They were both poisoned. I’ve spent the last few years building up immunity to Iocane powder.” Keith said, watching realization and quiet awe reach Lance’s face before he pulled the man in red along. 

~*********~

Lotor felt the ground between his hands, and the size of the marks in the dirt. 

“Someone has beaten a giant!” He declared, his men shifting slightly in tension when a giant was mentioned. Lotor ran to his horse, mounting swiftly and turning to his guards. “There will be great suffering in Olkarion if he dies.”

Lotor and his guards take off across the plains, towards Lance and his soon reunited love.


	7. You’re Alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THE REVEAL
> 
> plus Lotors a dick in hiding

Keith dragged Lance across the plains, not caring if the man stumbled every now and then. The harsh breaths were getting more frequent, though Keith could keep going and not break a sweat. He eventually paused near some rocks, pushing Lance’s weight towards one so he didn’t have to lean his weight on Keith. 

“Catch your breath.” His tone was clipped, annoyed. He was frustrated that Lance hadn’t recognized him for one, even though he knew he’d change. He was trying to be reasonable. It had been five years after all. Keith was still as pale as he used to be, but there was a lot that had changed. He was taller, stronger and it showed. He had a scar on his cheek now, and dressed far differently than he used to. It still stung that Lance hadn’t looked into his eyes and recognized him. 

For Lance, it was odd. He swore the man looked familiar, but nothing was adding up as to where he could’ve seen him before. He wasn’t scared of the man, though he did hope whatever he was planning to do was quick. 

“If...” he started, and a sharp look from the man cut him off. “If you release me, you’ll get whatever you want for ransom, I promise you.” He made out, his voice strong enough for his own satisfaction. The man across from him laughed, short and loud, before shaking his head. 

“And what is that worth, the promise of a bride. You’re very funny, highness.” Lance’s face heated up at the mans statement, yet he found no comeback. He was the one wearing the white, flowing suit on the weeding day after all. He hadn’t liked it, not really. It looked too much like a day dress. 

“I was giving you a chance.” He growled out, now flustered. “No matter where you take me, there is no greater hunter than Prince Lotor. He could track a falcon on a cloudy day.” He knew he struck a nerve when the man turned to him, eyes blazing. “He can find you.” 

Keiths blood was boiling. He couldn’t believe he was standing here, listening to Lance rave about his new fiance. 

“You think your dearest love will save you?” He snarled. His mouth was open to shoot more insults at Lance before the dark look in the mans eyes made him stop. They were angry. 

“I never said he was my dearest love. And yes, he will save me. That I know.” This made Keith pause. 

“You.... you admit to me you do not love your fiance?” He asked, moving closer to Lance now. 

“He knows I do not love him.” Lance said softly. He knows, and yet he forces this marriage. He forced Lance’s ‘feelings’, forced his clothes, and when Lance disobeyed.... Lance shivered to get the memories of black eyes and threats out of his head. 

“Are not capable of love is what you mean.” The man scoffed, and Lance stood suddenly. He approached the man with purpose, and poked a finger at Keith’s chest. 

“I have loved more deeply than a killer like yourself could ever dream!” He spat out. The man raised a hand, and on instinct Lance flinched his face back and away. But the strike never took. Lance looked up slowly, to see some confusion as well as anger on the man’s face. 

“That was a warning, highness. Next time my hand flies on its own, for where I come from there are penalty’s when someone of your status lies.” The man growled, pulling Lance along behind him. 

Keith was shocked, not only with himself but with Lance. Lance didn’t love Lotor? Then why on earth were they getting married? It didn’t make any sense.....  
and to top it all off he’d almost struck Lance. He was so used to enforcing people staying in their place that he forgot Lance’s. He was still mad, sure, but he would never hurt Lance like that. Never. 

~******~

Lotor sniffed the empty container, smelling nothing. He stood back up, tossing the useless item. 

“Locane. I’d bet my life on it.” Lotor announced, pointing in the direction of the foot prints. “The prince is alive. Or he was, an hour ago. If he is otherwise when I find him....” Lotor swung a leg over his horse, and stood straight in the saddle. “I will be very put out.”

And with that threat, Lotor moved on, thundering towards what he believed to be his. 

~*****~

Lance gasped for breath as he fell against the rocks. His eyes narrowed at where they had stopped, near a ravine with enough rock formations to hide behind if necessary. 

“Rest, highness.” The man said, leaning up against a different rock. His tone had become less harsh, though Lance was sure the man felt his glare against his skull. 

“I know who you are.” He hissed, sure as day he was correct. “Your cruelty reveals everything.” The man turned towards him slowly, a playful smile on his face. Lance just glared harder, and shifted so he appeared taller. 

“You’re the dreaded Pirate Kolivan, leader of the Blade if Marmora! Admit it.” He hissed, to which the mans playful smile became a victorious grin. 

“With pride.” The man admitted, doing a little bow in introduction. “What can I do for you?” The moment the Pirate confirmed it, Lance felt his head burn. He was face to face with Keith’s killer. He was face to face with the murder who ruined his life, and took away his only love. 

“You can die slowly.” He stated, trying so hard to keep his cool and not attack this man where he stood. It wouldn’t do any good, Lance would loose. “Cut into a million tiny pieces.” 

The man ‘tsk’ed, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms. 

“Thats hardly polite, highness.” The man complained, no real sarcasm in his voice but no real malice either. “Why loose your venom on me?” Lance paused, and stood up. 

“You killed my love.” Anger seethed through his tone, and he clenched his fists at his side. Keith wasn’t sure what to say to that, honestly. How could Lance say he was his love when he was marring another?

“It’s possible.” He finally spoke, shrugging. “I kill a lot of people. Who was this love of yours? Another prince like this one? Ugly, rich, scaby?” Keith taunted. He knew who Lance was talking about, of course, but he still wanted to see Lance’s response. He wasn’t disappointed at Lance’s snap, and glare to match. 

“No!” Lance’s voice was sharp, before turning softer at the memory of Keith. “No. He was a farm boy. Poor. Poor and perfect.” As he spoke, Keith moved to sit against a log, his hands behind his head. “His eyes were like the fields of lavender at night.” Lance murmured, and Keith’s breath caught. Lance had used that sentence to describe his eyes, a very long time ago. When they had decided to sleep outside to watch the stars, and Lance had seen the fields. 

“On the high seas your ship attacked.” Lance’s voice snapped him out of his head, and he watched the man cautiously sit back down. “And the Pirates of Marmora never take prisoners.” Keith laughed quietly at that. Lance was almost right. They took on crew members, but for a while they would be one in the same. 

“Well, I can’t afford to make exceptions. Once word leaks that a pirate has gone soft, people begin to disobey you, and then it’s nothing but, work, work, work, all the time.” Keith grumbled, remembering all the people that started questioning Kolivan once Keith was taken on. 

“You mock my pain!” Lance shouted, feeling his eyes start to tear up despite his anger. He hated crying. 

“Life is pain, highness!” Keith growled back, standing up to make sure Lance understood. “Anyone who tells you different us selling something.” Lance gulped, keeping his mouth shut and looking down. Keith took a breath before speaking again. 

“I remember this farm boy of yours, I think. This would be what, five years ago?” Lance nodded slowly, honestly a little surprised the Pirate remembered him. “Does it bother you to hear?”

Lance’s immediate thought was yes. Yes, it does bother him to hear about the love if his life and how the man murdered him. But he also knew that he shouldn’t show any weakness if his pride allowed it. 

“Nothing you can say will upset me.” Keith raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question Lance as he continued. 

“He died well. That should please you. No bribe attempts, or blubbering. He simply said, ‘Please. Please I need to live.’” The pirate paused in thought, before pacing back in forth in front on Lance. “It was the please that caught my attention. So, naturally out of curiosity, I asked him what was so important to him. He responded ‘true love’, and then began to speak of a man with surpassing beauty and faithfulness.” Lance smiled softly at the thought of Keith describing him that way. “I can only assume he meant you. You should be thanking me for destroying him before he found out what you really are.”

Keith wasn’t entirely sure why he said that. It’s true he was angry and Lance, trying to get a ruise out if him. It’s also true Keith was extremely impulsive, and said things he didn’t think through. 

“And what am I!?” Lance retorted, and Keith’s inner anger came out. What was he? 

“Faithfulness, he talked of highness, your enduring faithfulness. Now tell me, truly. When you found out he was gone, did you get engaged to your prince at the same hour, or did you wait a whole week out of respect for the dead?” Keith spat, awaiting the answer after he had told Lance how much he’d begged for his own life to be spared to get back to the farm. Only to find it abandoned. 

“You mocked me once, never do it again!” Lance cried, quite literally as a tear went down his face. “I died that day! If Lotor hadn’t threatened me, I-“ but he was cut off. The sounds of horses over the hill had caught Keith’s attention, and made Lance pause. But then he saw his chance. “You can die too for all I care!” He shouted, before shoving the Pirate down the hill. As Keith rolled, he shouted back the three words that he had always spoken when he had first fallen in love with Lance. 

“As.... you..... wish!” He had to pause between each word from the fall, and hitting his body against the hill side.  
Lance’s eyes widened at the words, and at the sight of Keith’s mask being ripped off in the tumble. He stayed still for a mere moment until he cursed himself for what he’d just done. 

“Oh my sweet Keith what have I done...” he started to make his own way down the path, trying to go slow, but when his feet tripped on the fabric of his pants he braced himself for his own fall. Keith reached the end of the hill before Lance, and shook himself up quickly. He’d heard Lance follow him, and quickly found the man a few feet away from him. Lance was still a little dizzy, and tried to sit up without his vision blackening. When he finally chased the spinning feeling away, Keith was in front of him and half on top of him, one arm holding their weight and the other holding Lance’s upper back. 

“Can you move at all?” Keith asked, doing a sweep of Lance for injuries. He saw a few cuts in his clothes, and was sure he’d be bruised by tomorrow. But what he saw the most of was the blinding smile Lance was showing. 

“You’re alive.” He said softly, like he couldn’t believe it. “If you want I could fly.” At that Lance launched into Keith’s arms in the best hug he’d had in five years. Keith held him tight, supporting all of his weight off the ground. After a few moments of breathing each other in, Keith smelling of the sea and grass and some sweat, Lance smelling of the perfumes Lotor had given him that smelled like strawberry’s and the breeze, Keith laid Lance back down into the grass gently, a sad look on his face. 

“I told you I would always come for you. Why didn’t you wait?” Lance could see the sadness in Keiths eyes, and he felt guilty. It wasn’t his fault, he knew, but he still felt ashamed. 

“You.... you were dead... and Lotor! He..” Lance paused as Keith gave a fond smile down at him. 

“Death can not stop true love. It can only delay it for a while.” He leaned closer, pressing his forehead to Lance’s in an attempt to simply be closer. Lance could feel his breath on his face, warm and familiar. 

“I will never doubt again.” Lance murmured, going in for a kiss. A mere moment before they could collide, Keith responded, his words causing Lance’s eyes to well in tears. 

“There will never be a need.” He said confidently, before rushing into Lance for a kiss. It was firm, something Lance was grateful to hold onto. Hand ran through hair, Keith pressing into Lance and-

“Oh no. No, please. Not a kissing scene again.”


	8. Is Everything Clear to You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I’m late in updating, Allura is brief but annoyed, and Keith is very protective over his bf.

“What, what is it? What is the matter, Allura?” Coran asked, tipping the book downward and giving a questioning look to the girl. She had her arms crossed, glaring at the book pointedly. 

“They’re kissing again.” She said, annoyance and venom seeping into her voice. “Do we have to listen to the kissing part?” She gave her Uncle a pouting face, and Coran sighed, keeping a smile at bay. 

“You know my dear, some day you might not mind so much.” Allura didn’t budge, giving a subtle wave of her hand. 

“Skip on the the fire swamp, that sounded cool.” Coran laughed shortly, and bowed at her request. 

“Alright princess, your sick, I’ll humor you.” He pulled the book out of his lap and in an upward motion, scanning the page in a glance to find where he was. “Now where... ah, here we are,” He cleared his throat thoroughly before continuing, Allura shifting to stay in a comfortable spot. “Lance and Keith raced along the ravine floor, looking back up only momentarily until Keith spoke....”

——————

“Look. Your pig fiancé is too late.” Keith grinned, his grip on Lance’s hand never loosening. He stared at the top of the ravine, where Lotor and his men stood stopped by the sheer hill. “A few more steps and we’ll be safe in the fire swamp.” As Keith stepped forward, continuing their trek, Lance pulled his hand back to stop them. 

“Wait wait, the fire swamp?” Lance asked, and Keith gave him his signature grin. It made Lance pause, and melt into his pull again. 

“Of course! Those spineless fools would never follow us in there.”

“We’ll never survive...” Lance groaned, following Keith nonetheless. Keith shook his head, and pushed back the first few branches to the swamp. 

“Oh nonsense, you’re only saying that because no one ever has.” Lance groaned again, and Keith rolled his eyes. He almost forgot how winey Lance could get when he was nervous. “We’ll be fine, Lance.”

“You say that now! What about when we hit the depth of the forest? No one has ever come through alive.” Keith sighed, and glanced back at Lance. The younger was looking around at the tall trees, and the dark muck surrounding the earth. 

“Not bad.” Keith muttered. He’d seen worse if he was honest. He saw Lance turn to him in his peripheral, and looked at the man. Lance was giving him the most blank stare he’d ever seen, and Keith fumbled. 

“Well, I mean, I’m not saying i’d like to build a summer home here, but the trees are actually quite lovely.” Lance continued to give him a blank stare, until Keith gulped and Lance laughed quietly. 

“You have the strangest standards....” He muttered, and they continued forward. It didn’t take long for them to hear an ominous popping sound, and pause. Keith looked along the ground for a source, while Lance scanned the tree tops. That was always their tactics while hunting together, and it seemed old habits died hard. When they couldn’t find anything, they shared a look and continued on their way. 

No more than four steps was all it took for a spurt of flames to shoot up right next to Lance. The cry of surprise was instant, as was the flames licking at the bottom of Lance’s pants. Later of course, Lance would deny that his yelp was as high pitched as it was. Keith reacted in a record speed, grabbing Lance by the waist and spinning him to sit down on the swamps floor. He folded the fabric of the pants, suffocating the flames before Lance could react further. It took a moment, but as soon as the flames were dead, Keith looked straight up at Lance, concern on his face. 

“Well that was an adventure” he hissed under his breath, seemingly annoyed that the fire had come that close to them. He pressed a hand to Lance’s cheek, taking in the mans surprised look. “Were you singed at all, Lance?” He murmured. 

Lance sighed quietly, shaking his head as Keith helped him up. “No. Were you?” He asked, taking a shaky breath to beat down the adrenaline. Keith smiled softly, shaking his head in a no before continuing down the path. They heard another tell tale popping sound, and almost as soon as he heard it Keith picked Lance up by the waist and spun him out of reach of the flames. 

He huffed at the flame as Lance stared, and tried a smile to ease both of their nerves. He could tell Lance was scared, and who wouldn’t be? Lance hadn’t been taught to fight, or have lightning reflexes. The most he knew was how to shoot a bow for hunting. And Keith assumed that being the fiancé of prince Lotor held certain restrictions for that as well. Being in high risk situations wasn’t what Lance was used too. 

So he took his hand, and continued walking as if nothing was wrong. “Well, one thing I will say. The fire swamp certainly does keep you on your toes doesn’t it?” Keith asked, getting a hum in reply from Lance. The pulled each other along in a slightly awkward silence, both Keith and Lance trying their hardest to find ways to talk to each other. It was just..... kind of awkward. 

Keith, grasping at straws, figured that maybe if he started talking about his plans for when they got back to the ship, it would go into a better conversation. A smoother one. 

“This will be but a memory soon. The Blade’s ship is anchored at the far end, and I am it’s captain.” Keith said as he made sure Lance didn’t trip over the log they were crossing. He was met with a confused face, one that he often saw on Lance where his eyebrows scrunched together and he gave the slightest pout with his mouth. 

“Keith, how is that possible? Kolivan has been sailing the seas for almost twenty years now, and we’ve only been separated for five.” Lance asked, Keith smiling at him warmly. 

“Well, isn’t that a story...” Keith murmured, pulling his sword to cut a few vines out of the way. He heard the popping sound again, though Lance must’ve missed it because as soon as Keith picked him up to move him Lance’s face flushed. Fire spurted from where red clad boy had just been, and Lance gulped nervously. “See, what I told you earlier about saying ‘please ‘ was true. It intrigued Kolivan, as did my description of your beauty. Soon enough he had decided something.

‘Alright Keith, i’ve never had a valet.’ Thats what Kolivan told me. He said ‘You can try it for tonight. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning’.” He saw Lance pale out of the corner of his eyes, but he kept walking and talking. “For three years thats what he told me. ‘Goodnight Keith, good work. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.’ It was an educational time for me. I was learning to fight, to fence, anything any of the Blades would teach me. Eventually, Kolivan and I became friends. And then it happened....” Keith hadn’t even realized he trailed off until he felt Lance lean closer.

“What happened? Go on.” The prince said, his eyes curious. He wanted to know what Keith had been doing. It made Keith want to smile. He picked Lance up fluidly, watching as pink spread up the boys neck and face. He started walking across a thin log that spanned across a ditch, holding tight to Lance. 

“Well, Kolivan had grown so wealthy he wanted to retire. So, he took me to his cabin and told me his secret. ‘I am not the real Dread Pirate Kolivan’ he said. ‘My name is Ulaz. I inherited this ship from the previous Dread Pirate Kolivan, just as you will inherit it from me. The woman I inherited it from was not the real Dread Pirate Kolivan either. Her name was Krolia. The real Kolivan has been retired for fifteen years, and living like a king somewhere in the islands.’ Then he explained the name was the important thing.” Keith noted how Lance’s arms tightened around his neck as he hoped down from the edge of the log, gaining his balance. 

“You see, no one would surrender to the dread pirate Keith. So we sailed ashore, took on an entirely new crew, and he stayed aboard as first mate, all the time calling me Kolivan. Once the crew believed, he left, and I have been Kolivan ever since. Except,” Keith set Lance down gently, though he didn’t relent with the grip he had on Lance’s waist. “Now that we’re together, I shall retire and hand the name over to someone else. Do you understand everything?” He asked. Lance nodded slowly, and continued walked, looking like he was about to ask a few more questions. 

However, what he was going to ask, if anything, died in his throat as the ground collapsed underneath him, and Lance was pulled unexpectedly underneath the powder white of the Lightning Sand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, i was right in saying I would need to do every other weekend for that update thing. Schools crazy and I keep forgetting to post.... :’)  
> But heres chapter eight!!! Stuffs going to get super canon divergent for the next chapter i’m ngl.


	9. It’s Called Fencing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of yelling, specifically of ‘Keith!’ And no not in a good way. R.O.U.S’s, bit of cannon divergence, and sand. Much sand. Much much sand.

Keith barely had time to react. His eyes blew wide as Lance fell into the earth, with barely a moment passing before he whirled around to the closest tree. As soon as he found it, Keith slashed a vine with his sword to separate it from the ground. Wrapping it around his arm, he threw his sword to the ground and dove into the sand as if he was diving into water. He wasn’t losing Lance, not this soon after they’d found each other. 

As for Lance? Lance couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t open his eyes, and even if he could it would be black. He couldn't hear anything but the rush of sand, or feel anything besides the struggle of his clothes and his body as they tried to fight the pull of the sand. His lungs were burning with a lack of oxygen, having to fight the urge to try and take a deep breath. Lance barely registered an arm wrapping around his waist until it pulled him up, closing around him so he was flush with the chest of whoever grabbed him. Keith. He wrapped his arms around Keith’s chest, clinging on as Keith somehow pulled them both up and out of the sand. 

The moment Lance felt air against his skin he gasped for it, gulping in the oxygen even if he got a few sand particles along the way. His lungs had felt beyond their limit, and now they were collapsing in on him. He felt like he couldn’t get enough air. Coughs filled the silence as both Keith and Lance tried to fill their lungs, though Keith recovered much faster than Lance. Keith pulled Lance and himself away from the sand so only their feet touched it, tired enough as it was. The man then scrambled over to his love, who was still coughing up sand on the ground, and rolled him over so he was on his side. 

“It’s ok Lance, I’ve got you. Take a deep breath, you’re ok.” Keith murmured against Lances skin, and hugged him as the other stopped coughing. Keith dragged Lance away from the sand and against a tree, pulling away for a mere moment to scan his face and body for any injuries. “Are you hurt anywhere?” He asked, dusting sand off of caramel skin and chocolate hair. 

“I’m not hurt.” Lance replied, causing Keith to wince. His voice sounded wrecked. He came in for a hug again, keeping Lance close to his body as Lance tried to breathe in Keiths scent. Keith spared a glance upwards, and was so, so very glad he did. 

Standing just a tree above them, staring down with glaring, beady eyes, was an R.O.U.S. Rodent of Unusual Size. Of course, that wasn’t their scientific name. But It was the name people had given them. He pulled away from Lance slowly, trying not to scare him any further, and pulled him to his feet. 

“Keith, we’ll never survive in here...” He sounded defeated, and Keith brushed his hair back to see Lance’s face. 

“No, no don’t you see? We already have.” He said, ignoring Lance’s confused face in favor of pulling him away from the-now two, when did the other one appear?-R.O.U.S.. He placed a hand on the lower part of Lance’s back, guiding him away from the sand and the rats into a new clearing. “What are the three terrors of the fire swamp? The flame spurts, which are no problem. There's a popping sound before each one, so they're easy to avoid. The lighting sand, and you were clever enough to discover what that looks like so in the future we can avoid that too.” Lance furrowed his eyebrows at this, Keith obviously taking a light hearted jab at him.   
“And It’s not like no one has survived this, there have been people to come out of the fire swamp before.”

“What? But I thought you said no one had survived it before!” Lance exclaimed, electing a smirk from Keith. 

“No one on record, at least. But if no one had survived before, well then how would we know about the three terrors of the fire swamp?” Lance opened his mouth to argue, before shutting his mouth. Yeah, that didn’t make much sense did it?

“But Keith, what about the R.O.U.S.? That's the third one.” Lance asked, and Keith paused for a moment. He didn’t really want to freak Lance out anymore than he already had. Kidnapping, catching on fire, and drowning via sand all in one day was a lot. He didn’t need to worry about a problem that may not come to pass. 

“Rodents of unusual size? Lance, please, I don’t think they exist.” Of course, he spoke to soon. Keith mentally berated himself for not paying closer attention to his surroundings as an R.O.U.S pounced on him, knocking him to the ground in a roll. Keith shoved the creature away from him and was on his feet in mere moments. He heard Lance let out a surprised cry, though from the lack of pain laced in it he assumed for now that the R.O.U.S had left him alone. 

He drew his sword in a fluid movement, having picked it up after he grabbed Lance from the sand. The R.O.U.S launched itself again, knocking Keith to the ground causing him to drop his sword. Keith’s vision went white as the creature buried its teeth into his shoulder, making him cry out in pain. He could hear Lance calling his name in a panicked scream, but Keith was more focused on punching this thing in the nose. He felt something hit it from the side, and saw Lance with a huge stick, slamming the beast's body off of his boyfriend. Keith scrambled for his sword, half crawling to get to it. 

“Keith!” The cry was instant, as was Keith’s reaction. He turned to see Lance trying to hit the creature with his stick, as it tore through the flowing fabric of his pants. Keith abandoned his sword, launching onto the R.O.U.S. And rolling it away from Lance. The thing had a tight hold on the ankle of Lance’s pants, causing Lance to fall as well. He yelped in surprise, dropping the stick and falling chest first into the dirt. 

As Keith rolled with the beast, and it sunk its teeth deep in his arm. He shouted again, gritting his teeth as he tried to get away from the thing. The popping sound was loud in Keith’s ears, and a sudden idea lit up his skull. Rolling to the right, he pushed the rodent into the oncoming flame spurt, burning the R.O.U.S’s skin and charring the air around it. It finally let go, shrieking inhumanly at the flames. Keith used it as an opportunity to stand, grab his sword, and strike the beast in the heart. When the shrieking subsided, and the R.O.U.S. was dead, Keith looked back to Lance. 

In the back of his mind, he knew there had been more, yet as he looked around most of the creatures had slinked away. Lance had a small cut on his lip from falling, and his hands were scraped from the club. His feet, where the rat had attacked, seemed unharmed though the fabric was torn. Lance was standing, holding his head as a hiss escaped his lips. When the red clad man turned to see Keith, he gasped and ran forward, completely ignoring his own minor injuries in favor of looking over Keith’s major ones. 

“Keith! Oh, my God, you’re hurt. Your shoulder, we should bandage that..... does it hurt? Should we stop and rest? Are you-“ he was cut off as Keith placed a hand to his lips, and sighed. 

“Yes, we should. Yes, it does but not terribly,” that was a lie and they both knew it. “We shouldn’t, we still have half the swamp to travel, and yes. I am ok.” Keith answered, remembering when Lance would panic and start to ramble. It was cute, don’t get Keith wrong, but the throbbing in his shoulder was making it hard to focus. “Are you alright?” He asked, taking Lance’s hands in his own to study the scrapes. 

Lance snorted in amusement, pressing his forehead forward to bump with Keiths. “Yes. Yes I’m alright. I’m not sure how you can worry about me when your shoulder is looking the way it is. You need to take better care of yourself, Samurai.” Keith’s nose scrunched up, and he pulled away. 

“Samurai?” Lance’s face flushed, and he shrugged. 

“Well, you know, you have the sword, and you’re super strong and stuff-“

“It’s called fencing, Lance. It’s french.” Lance huffed and turned away, his face heating up. 

“Yeah, I knew that.” Keith shook his head in amusement, and put an arm around Lance’s shoulder for support. A little for Lance, a little for himself. 

“So, I’ve told you what happened while I was gone. Tell me, how did you end up engaged to Lotor?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg I have a beta shout out to my friend (who doesn’t have a profile on here) Gold!!!! You da best. The name is an inside joke, it’s cool


	10. He was Suffocating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst. Lotor’s a dick. Keith’s kinda pissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m.... not exactly happy with this chapter?? It’s kinda rushed. I had a family trip this week and IOS14 had me tripping anyway. Oops.
> 
> OMG GUYS I FORGOT TO ADD. I REACHED 100 KUDOS!!! Made me want to cry ngl.

CHAPTER 10

Lance tensed under Keith’s arm, causing Keith to wonder if he’d stepped over some kind of line. He doubted it, but considering the fact that Lance had told Keith he didn’t love Lotor, he knew this was a conversation that needed to be had. Even If only for Lance’s benefit. 

“That's.... a very short and boring story Keith.” Lance said, turning to stare in his eyes. Keith watched him for a moment before Lance looked away, inhaling deeply and holding it. By the time he exhaled, several long seconds of walking had passed, and Keith was worried Lance was trying to make himself pass out. When Lance opened his mouth to speak, the guilt laced in it made Keith wince, and almost purse his lips. 

“It was three years after you left when I first met Lotor. He came to the village announcing that he needed someone to marry, and was searching within the kingdom. I happened to be in the village that day, delivering food to the orphanage and Nyma. Did you know Nadia got adopted? They’re a wonderful family.” Lance trailed off slightly, and Keith’s eyebrows knit in sadness. They had talked about adopting Nadia should they ever get married, but it seemed that option was gone. 

“Anyway, when he came to the village, I tried to avoid him but a guard made me present myself like everyone else. He..... took an interest in me. Kissed my hand. It was strange for me.” Lance rushed through the details of their first meeting, skipping the part of how he felt like a complete prostitute just for letting Lotor kiss his hand. “I didn’t see him until a few weeks later....”

Lance paused in speaking and narrowed his eyes in recollection of the memory. 

“He showed up at my farm, took Kalteneker out of the barn, and burned down the stable. He said he had chosen me, didn’t even give me a choice. When I refused he...” Lance gulped as Keith stared in horror. The stable was gone. Just like that. What else did Lotor destroy of theirs? “He threatened to burn down the village. And kill Kalteneker. He ended up selling her anyway.... but obviously I accepted.” 

Keith heard himself growl through hazy ears, the mental image already playing on loop. Lance probably cried as Lotor burned his home. Took his favorite animal in all the world. He could imagine Lance gritting his teeth in anger at Lotor, only to end up agreeing to any terms necessary to save his village. 

“That was the easy bit. The hard part.... the hard part began once I actually got into the castle.” Lance murmured, his mind already drifting. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“And see? You’re room is more fit for a queen than a prince. You, my dear, will have the finest things this kingdom has to offer. You’ll want for nothing.” Lance huffed at Lotors remark, and shook his head. What a lie. What he wanted was Kalteneker. His farm. Keith. “Well? Aren’t I owed a thanks?” 

Lotor practically purred in his ear, causing Lance to jump back as if he’d been stung Lotor frowned at his reaction, attempting to take the boys hand. Lance snatched it away, glaring up at the white haired man. 

“Thank you, your highness.” His voice was low and dangerous, bordering on dangerous. Lotor’s frown soon became one of anger rather than annoyance, and he wrenched Lance’s wrist into his grip. 

“Lance, I don’t appreciate that tone. I’ve given you so much, don’t you appreciate it?” Lance clamped his own mouth shut, refusing to give this man any sort of satisfaction. “Lance..” 

Lotor pulled Lance’s wrist back until Lance was gasping in pain, tugging and whimpering as the pressure increased. 

“Why don’t we try that again, hmm?” Lance hissed out his words, desperate for Lotor to stop pulling at his wrist. 

“I’m sorry, i’m sorry, please let go.” Lotor laughed at Lances voice and leaned in. 

“That’s not what I meant darling, and you know it.” 

“I-“ Lance drew in a sharp gasp as Lotor pulled his wrist towards him. “I appreciate the room greatly, your highness. It’s much better than my.... old lodging.” Lance spoke, trying not to spit the words out with as much venom as he could. Lotor smirked victoriously, and kissed Lances temple before letting go. 

“There you go love. Now, was that so hard?” He then turned to leave the room that was now Lance’s, yet seemed to think better of it at the doorway. “Your sleepwear are already in the drawers, and you’ll pick out clothes tomorrow. For now,” he held up a key, swinging it around his finger. “Go to bed love.” 

Lance’s eyes widened in fear as Lotor left, closing and locking the door behind him. Lance ran to the door, only to slam into it just as it was locked. He hit his fist against the wood, sinking down to the floor as tears welled in his eyes. 

~~~~~~~~

-ance? 

Lance!”

Keith cupped Lance’s cheek and turned it, breaking Lance out of whatever trance he got trapped in. 

“Are you ok? You zoned out there.” Lance nodded, and shook his head softly to clear it. Keith snorted in amusement, adjusting his arm over Lance’s shoulder. “Is that a yes, or a no?”

“Yes, yes I’m fine.” Lance answered, grinning back at the black haired beauty. Keith smiled back for a moment, before his grin turned pained. “He was just suffocating. It felt like I was being controlled, contained. He’d hurt me to keep me in line, threaten me to keep me from running.”

“He... hurt you?” 

“...”

“Lance.”

“Sometimes.” Lance answered shortly. “It was usually nothing more than a small slap, or a bruised wrist. It never went past that.” Keith audibly growled this time, his free hand going to his sword. 

“That bastard. I’ll kill him.” Lance laughed out loud at that, causing Keith to glare at him. “What, you think I won’t?” 

“Oh, I know you would. But right now I’m more concerned with getting you fixed up.” Lance answered in a caring tone, glancing at the blood on Keiths shoulder and chest. The sigh that came from the man proved Lance’s point that he shouldn’t be fighting right now. 

“You’re right as usual. We need to focus on getting out of here.


	11. Swear It Will Be Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ya’ll have finally witnessed one of my famed disappearing acts, I have no Beta again, and Keith is sad.

Lance sighed in relief as the forest let out from the fire swamp, in view of a beach and the denser part of the forest. 

“Keith, Keith we did it!” He said excitedly, turning his smile onto his love. Keith smiled back, and used the arm not around Lance’s shoulders to wipe some dirt of the mans face. 

“Now, was that so-“ his voice was cut off by a crack, a branch snapping. He twirled around, taking his arm off Lance’s shoulder and putting it in front of his body. He gripped the red clad mans waist as best he could. He was in pain and exhausted, couldn’t this guy leave them alone?

“Surrender!” Lotor shouted, at his side his four generals and several guard’s. Keith raised an eyebrow, his sword already drawn on reflex and pointing towards the prince. 

“You mean you wish to surrender to me? Very well, I accept.” He said confidently, and honestly is Lance wasn’t scared out of his wits for Keith he would have laughed. 

Lotor’s face twisted into an annoyed scowl, a hiss directed at Keith coming from between his lips. 

“I’ve given you full marks for bravery. Do NOT make yourself a fool.” Lance was close to a retort, yet Keith beat him to it. 

“Ah, and yet, you have no way to capture us. We know the secrets of the fire swamp, and could live there happily for quite some time. So, Lotor, whenever you feel like dying, feel free to visit.” Keiths tone was absolutely animalistic, giving Lance goose bumps. A quiet crack, however, had him turning his head back to the forest. The guards there had their bows drawn, aimed right at Keith. Lance froze, his skin chilling. 

“I say to you once more, surrender!”

“It will not happen.” Keith and Lotor were getting visibly angry now, frustration showing up on Lotors face while anger bristled on Keith’s. In Keith’s mind, this man was no better than scum. He had dared to lay a finger on Lance. Dared to harm him, force him into something he didn’t want. 

But Lance was focused on the immediate threat to Keith’s life. He grasped tightly at Keiths shirt, thinking of what to do. Keith grip on Lance’s waist tightened, and the growl he was emitting became louder. 

“Last chance, surrender!!” 

“DEATH FIRST!” 

No. Lance would not let Keith die. Not again. 

“Do you promise not to hurt him!” He watched as two faces turned to him, both wearing confusion and honestly some shock. 

“What was that? Lotor asked, tilting his head to the side and holding up his arm. The arm made his soldiers and gaurds freeze, as Keith whirled to face Lance in time. 

“What was that?” He sounded even more shocked than Lotor, though the moment he saw the guard’s behind him he understood. How did he not notice them? 

“If I agree to go with you....” Lance gulped, the prospect of going back with Lotor sounded horrible. But Keith dying in front of him..... he felt like he would be in hell for the rest of his life if that happened. “If I agree to go with you, will you promise to let him live?”

“May I live a thousand years, and never hunt again.”

“He’s a sailor on one of the ships docked on the far side of the island. Promise to return him to his ship.” Lance held no argument in his tone, so much so that even Keith shut his mouth at the authority. 

“I swear, it will be done!” Lotor declared, swiftly placing his sword back into its sheath. Lance turned to Keith, sadness in his eyes. Keith opened his mouth to protest against Lance going back, until Lance placed a hand on his cheek. 

“I thought you were dead once, and it almost destroyed me. I couldn’t bear it if you died again, not when I could save you.” He murmured, unaware of the words passing between Lotor and his generals. 

“The moment we are out of sight and back in Altea, throw him in the pit of despair.” Lotor hissed. Ezor smiled cruelty, while the other generals huffed in amusement. 

“I swear it will be done.” Axca spoke in a sarcastic tone, almost mocking. Lotor surged forward, and before Keith could comprehend it, Lance was swept onto Lotor’s horse and being taken from him. 

Two guards came on either of his sides, grabbing his arms and pulling him forward. 

“Come, sir. We must get you to your ship.” Keith looked up to see one of Lotor’s dark haired generals, and snarled with contempt. 

“We are people of action. Lies do not become us.” His eyes narrowed at her, though when he saw the hooded general behind her shock overcame him. Six fingers. 

“What.” The general hissed, pulling their horse closer to Keith. 

“You have six fingers on your right hand. Someone was looking for yo-“ and everything went black. 

~~~~~~~~~~

When Keith awoke, it was to a dull pain on and off on his shoulder. He groaned in annoyance, attempting to roll away from the feeling. When he couldn’t, he tried to pull his arms up to swat it away, but he couldn’t do that either. He blinked awake, only to be startled by a bloodless looking creature with long white hair. A cloak obscured most of its features, and its eyes had a wooden mask with red markings on the side. 

“Where am I.” Keith demanded, the albino raising an eyebrow. He couldn’t tell if the creature was male or female until he spoke, his voice painfully scratchy and dull. 

“The Pit of Despair.” Keith narrowed his eyes in frustration. That didn’t give him much to go off of for one. “Don’t even think about-“ the man coughed and sputtered, causing Keith to scrunch his nose. When he spoke again, Keith was sure his face held true bewilderment at the sudden change in tone. It sounded so... mundane. “Don’t even think about trying to escape. The chains are far to thick, and you can forget about being rescued as well. The entrance is secret, and only the Prince, the Generals, and I know how to get in and out.” The man was almost laughable in his tone, but Keith stilled. No rescue. No Lance. 

“Then I’m here until I die?” Keith growled, to which the man nodded. He was still patching up Keith’s shoulder, which honestly confused Keith. 

“Till they kill you, yes. If it were up to me, i’d go ahead and torture you without patching up you’re poor shoulder.” The man shrugged, and Keith pursed his mouth. 

“So its to be torture then...” he settled into the table as much as he could, resolve flowing through his head. “I can cope with torture.” The man barely scoffed, and Keith growled. “What,” he snapped. “You don’t believe me?”

The man laughed, hard yet short. His cloak hood was almost thrown back by his laugh, to which Keith growled louder. 

“You survived the Fire Swamp, so you must be very brave. But no one has ever survived the machine.” Keith swore his pupils dilated with his eyes narrowing. Machine? As if he could see and sense Keith’s confusion, the man gestured to the left of Keith, a place he hadn’t spared much of a glance. Turning his head, he almost gasped in surprise. A water mill, hooked up to multiple pieces of equipment. A bar with numbers ranging from 1-50 stood on the left side, and honestly Keith wasn’t too excited to see what they stood for. 

God he wanted to be back on his ship, Lance in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT PLZ READ. Yoooo ok so heres the tea. I do this thing sometimes where I disappear for a while. Also, I have Finals in two weeks so I’m..... s t r e s s e d a f. HOWEVER, that is not the only reason I’ve been less than consistent with updates. I’ve been planning two other fics, both original au’s instead of pre-made ones. The first is another Prince Lance AU, but Keith is a Prince as well haha. The second is a A/B/O centered fic (Omega Lance/Alpha Keith). My question is which one would ya’ll like posted first???? Answer in the comments or whatever, lol. Also theres no way I’m abandoning is fic just fyi Ok byeeeee.
> 
> Edit to my note: I do give a description of both AU’s in my comment thread with TheLoserWithAKeyBoard. If you’d like to read them before commenting your decision feel free!


	12. He Will Always Come for Me

Chapter 12

Lance had only ever been close to this feeling of emptiness the day that he learned Keith had ‘died’. His days were not filled with excitement over a wedding, or happiness with his finance. Just sad memories and a ever still expression. He’d heard Lotor trying to explain his melancholy to the court, claiming that King Zarkon’s failing health was what was ailing him. Though, anyone who knew Lance knew he had never supported Zarkons cruel rule.

————

“In fact, Zarkon died that very night. Before the following dawn, with no one to tell him otherwise, Lance and Lotor were married.”

————

So many people clambered behind the doors to the square, far more than those who’d appeared when he’d been revealed to society. He could hear Lotor speaking, but the blood rushing through his ears made it almost impossible to understand. 

“My father’s final words were-“ 

“— hold it, wait! Uncle Coran!”

————

Coran paused in the story to look back at Allura, who was fully alert and frowning. 

“You read that wrong. Lotor can’t marry Lance, it has to be Keith! I’m sure of it, absolutely. After all Keith did, Lance can’t not marry him! It just wouldn’t be fair. Mum said true love always wins!” 

Coran chuckled lightly, before shaking his head. 

“Well, who says life is fair? Where is that written. Life isn’t always fair, Princess.” 

“I’m telling you,” Allura snapped, almost angry, “you’re messing up the story, now get it right!”

Coran raised an eyebrow at her outburst, seemingly thoughtful for a moment.

“Do you want me to go on with this story? He asked, to which Allura nodded furiously. “Alright, then no more interruptions. Ahem.”

“At noon, he met them again. This time, as their King.” 

——-  
“My father’s final words were, ‘Love him as I loved my wife. In this, there will be joy.” Another lie. Lance wasn’t the only one who knew that Zarkon never loved his wife. “I present to you, your queen.”

Lance snarled internally at the name, one which Lotor had insisted on giving him. He wasn’t a girl, and his official title was King Lance now that Lotor was king and they were married. The door swung open, shaking him out of his own mind as he walked forward from the archway. 

The people before him- his subjects, his mind offered unhelpfully- sunk to their knees at the sight of the crown on his head. He gulped inaudibly as they knelt before him. 

“Boo!” A shrill voice cried through the crowd, startling Lance as he searched for whoever was yelling. His eyes finally fell on an old woman, wrinkled with time as cloths eaten by moths shrouded her face. 

“Why do you boo me?” Lance asked, a mix of confusion and hurt filling his heart. This lady didn’t know him, yet she said these things to him. 

“You had true love in your hands! It was right there, and you gave it up! And for what? This fool?” The woman gestured to Lotor, standing tall above the crowd. Lance’s eye tiered up at the mention of Keith, his voice shaking. 

“But he was going to kill Keith! I couldn’t watch him die again!” Lance cried, tears slipping out between the corners of his eyes. 

“You’re true love lives! Yet here you stand, married to another.” The woman turned around to face the crowd, forcefully shouting to them. “True love saved him in the fire swamp, but he threw it away like garbage! That is what he is, the Ruler of Refuse! Bow down if you wish, to the King of slime, of filth. The King of Putrescence!” Lance took a step back, overwhelmed with what the woman was now screaming to him. His couldn’t look away from her if he tried, her features still obscured by the hood. 

“Boo! Boo! You’re rubbish! Filth! Slime, muck! Boo!” The woman began to approach Lance, until she was almost nose to nose. She was getting louder as she advanced, Lance’s hands starting to shake as his knees threatened to give out. As she screamed ‘boo’ in his face one last time, Lance sat straight up in his bed, cold sweat racing down his back. 

He hunched in on himself, crying over his nightmare, and over Keith. It was still ten nights until the wedding, Lance knew, but the nightmare had shaken him. He threw the bedsheets off his legs, wiping his tears on his sleeve and snatching a night robe from the wall. This had been the worst nightmare so far, though all of them were bad. 

He flung the door open in earnest, sending himself down the halls as fast as he could towards Lotor’s meeting chambers. When he flung open the doors, he found Lotor on his throne, surrounded by his four generals. Panting hard from running halfway around the castle, Lance curled his fist against the door and stood tall. 

“It has come to this. I love Keith. I always have, and I always will. If you insist to me that we will be married in ten days, please believe that I will be dead by that morning.” Lance took a deep breath to end, watching as the generals froze in surprise and Lotor’s eyes widened, stunned. The Prince stood from his chair, and slowly crossed the room so he was only a few feet from Lance. Lance flinched, thinking that Lotor was going to hit him or scream. Instead, he just spoke softly, with words that surprised Lance just as much. 

“I... I could never cause you true grief. You may consider our wedding off.” Lotor said, his hands spread in acceptance. “Axca, Narti. You returned this Keith to his ship, correct?” As he turned to face his generals, they both bowed as confirmation. 

“We did, my lord.” Axca spoke for them both. 

“Then the only thing to do is alert him! My love,” Lotor continued, turning back to Lance. “Are you certain he still wants you? After all it was you that left in the fire swamp. As well as the fact that pirates are not known to be men of their words.” Lance smiled brightly, the possibility of Keith not meaning it when he said ‘I love you’ almost laughable. 

“Keith will always come for me. Always.” Lotor didn’t seem downtrodden by this confession in the least. 

“In that case, I propose a deal. You will write four copies of a letter. I’ll send the letter with my four fastest ships, one in each direction. The dread pirate Kolivan is always close to Altea this time of year, so all we must do is run up the white flag and deliver your message. If you’re Keith wants you then blessed may you both be.” Lotor came face to face with Lance, placing one hand on the side of his face and the other near his waist. “If he does not, perhaps you will consider me as an alternative to suicide...?” He murmured, giving Lance the shivers. 

Not the good kind. Not like Keith did. 

Lance nodded, taking a step back before turning and retreating to his room. Leaving Lotor and his general to laugh at his naivety of the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished Finals!! Holy crap. I can’t believe i survived that. Anyywaayyy. It’s been FOREVER since I’ve updated haha. HOWEVER I’m here to post a chapter... and to tell Fantasy_Addict that they reminded me to post and gave me the motivation I needed to finish this chapter. I was going to put it off to tomorrow, and lets be honest I probably wouldn’t have finished it until later next week. But their comment made me sit up and DO IT. So thank you. Have a great Christmas you guys!!!


	13. How do you Feel?

The forest behind the castle, dense as it was, allowed travel to and from the pirates prison to be far simpler. Lotor and Axca were stepping lively, Lotor’s mood still on edge after the conflict with Lance. He was being... less accommodating to Lotor’s plans than he would have liked. 

“You’re prince is certainly a winning creature.” Axca’s flat and bored tone weighed heavy with sarcasm, causing Lotor’s lips to curl. 

“Ah, yes. I was quite infuriated when he wasn’t found dead, but after all the headaches he’s caused me I think it’s going to be all the more satisfying to strangle him after our wedding night.” Lotor stopped walking, right in front of a massive tree, gnarled with time. “Once our enemy’s are blamed, the people will be so infuriated they’ll demand to go to war. It would’ve so much easier, of course, if he’d actually have fallen in love with me.”

“Ah, well, I suppose that’s the only flaw in your plan sire. You’re brilliance knows no bounds but one, it seems. Are you coming in today? The man has his strength back, Ezor is already inside for evaluation.” 

“Axca. You know I love to watch you girls work. But I’ve got my countries five hundredth anniversary, my wedding to arrange, my husband to murder, and Olkarion to frame for it! I’m swamped.” 

“My lord, get some rest. If you haven’t got your health you haven’t got anything.” Axca then bowed to Lotor, hitting a knot on the tree and opening a secret passage way. Lotor bowed in return, turning and leaving Axca to close the door behind her, as if it were never there. 

As Axca traveled deep into the tree, she saw Ezor strapping the man up, all of the wires and connections being made by the druid and Ezor herself. 

“Axca! You’re here. Good, we’re almost done and then we may begin.” Ezor’s tone was excited, but one look on this ‘Keith’s’ face showed he was dreading it. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Ezor looked up to the machine, the other General nodding in agreement. 

“It took us half a lifetime to invent this machine,” Axca started. “So it should be impressive.” She then turned to Keith, getting lower so her eyes were level with his. 

“I’m sure you’ve understood by now our inherent interest in pain. At present Ezor is writing the definitive work on the subject. So, you must tell us how you feel. And please,” Axca smiled cruelly. “Be completely honest.” With that she stood, and cranked the dial on the side up to one. “As this is our first try, we’ll start with the lowest setting.”

Almost immediately, Keith’s body was racked with pain, spastic convulsions in every move. He was blinded by pain, couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, couldn’t think. He was suddenly very grateful for the leather strap between his teeth. Axca let it go on, watching Ezor write until the shorter female bobbed her head, a signal to stop. The dial was jerked back down to 0, and the horrible sound coming from the males throat died. 

“The concept of the suction cup is quite simply, and common!” Ezor spoke up, still scribbling away. “The only difference in out machine is that instead of water, we suck life. One year of your life has just been sucked away. One day, after much practice of course, we may go as high as five! Of course, I’ve never seen it happen, and I’m not sure what that would do to you. So tell me, what did that feel like? What did it do to you? And please, this is for posterity, so do be honest.” Ezor waited patiently, and a few heavy breaths came before the whimpering started. 

Keith was crying. Tears rolled down his cheek as he cried into the air. It hurt. Like when he found out Lance was getting married, except it was physical. 

“Interesting.”

————

Lotor’s desk was a mess, covered in papers left and right. (If he wasn’t such a spineless honor-less dickless hopeless jackass one might feel sorry for him.) He viewed maps of the kingdom as a man came into the room. Captain of the guard, a man who’s name Lotor had never bothered to remember. 

“Ah, you’re here.”

“Sire.” The stiff bow had Lotor raising an eyebrow, before he gestured for the man to come closer. He spoke in hushed tones, keeping what he was saying under wraps. 

“As chief enforcer of all Altea, I’m trusting you with this secret. Infiltrators from Olkarion are infiltrating the Thieves forest, and are planning on murdering my husband on our wedding day.” The mans face washed with shock, no surprise to Lotor. He’d made it up of course. And besides, now he had a reason to empty that forest. 

“But sire, my spy network.... they’ve heard no such news?” As soon as the words were said, Lance came into the room, dressed in shades of blue. 

“Lotor! There you are. Any word from Keith yet?” He sounded hopeful, it made Lotor want to grind his teeth. It would’ve been easier if this peasant boy would just fall for the glory of being a prince already. 

“To soon, angel! Patience.” Lotor smiled with his words, watching as Lance’s fell slightly. 

“He will come for me.”

“Of course, darling.” Lance nodded, before leaving out the same door he came in. Lotor whirled to the man at his side, growling his words. 

“He will NOT be murdered. On the day of the wedding, I want the Thieves forest emptied, and every single inhabitant arrested.”

“Sire... many of the thieves will resist. My regular enforcers will not be enough.”

“Form a brute squad then!” Lotor boomed, causing the man to shrink back. “I want that forest completely empty when I wed.”

“It won’t be easy sire.” Lotor sighed dramatically, giving the man a blank stare. 

“Try ruling the world sometime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not dying, YOU’RE dying. School’s TOTALLY not killing me AT ALL. Not like it hasn’t been several months since I’ve posted ya? 
> 
> Aaanyway, this chapter’s kinda short, but it’s going to be the last chapter for at least a month. I’m trying my best to keep up with it, but I’m low key losing inspo cause I’m also running a D&D campaign right now as well as my EXCITEMENT for my next work. SO ya’ll know what to do, comment and Kudo’s and what not, see you in March! (Probably)


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